MALAYSIA - Langkawi cashes in

TTGasia.com, Dec 14 - 20, 2007

THE tourism industry in Langkawi is pinning its hopes on its new Geopark status to capture the imagination of leisure and meetings and incentives travellers seeking a unique beach destination in South-east Asia.The trade is banking on more tourist traffic coming from Singapore via Kuala Lumpur in 2008 with the deregulation of Singapore-Kuala Lumpur flights to allow low-cost carriers to ply the route. The anticipated boost in traffic is expected to spill over from the Malaysian capital to secondary destinations.In 2008, all infrastructure and tourism projects are directed towards enhancing and promoting the Langkawi Geopark. An important project on Tuba Island is the provision of access and a viewing gallery at Wang Buluh Cave. “The people of Tuba Island are getting excited about the projects coming into their backyard, including a coastal rural road that would provide a scenic drive and also potentially attract fishing enthusiasts,” Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) general manager, Datuk Kamarulzaman Abdul Ghani, said.

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THAILAND - Hotels aid Pattaya evolution

TTGasia.com, Dec 14 - 20, 2007

BUOYED by its proximity to one-year-old Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand’s main gateway, Pattaya is seeing a burgeoning number of new hotels while existing properties are being upgraded. Pattaya is having a renaissance, the trade says.Amari Hotels and Resorts sales and marketing vice-president, Mr Duncan Webb, said the overall outlook for Pattaya as a destination now was light years away from what the beach resort was 10 years ago. He added it had become an established beach resort with international standards and the destination was continually evolving with new developments.The once small fishing village, which began its transformation to a beach resort in the 1960s, had a negative image for many years. But the city administration has been working hard to erase its sleazy image, in a bid to transform the beach resort into a family- and business-focused destination.

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MALAYSIA - Malaysia, Iran venture

TTGasia.com, Dec 14 - 20, 2007

Tourism stakeholders in Malaysia and Iran want to set up a joint committee to promote tourism related activities between the two countries and curb illegal practices among agents. Bumiputra Travel Agents Association president, Mr Syed Razif Al Yahya, and 14 other travel agents from his association met with Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization general-director of Foreign Tourism Development, Mr Mohammad Ali Pakseresht, early last month in Tehran, where the latter had, in principle, agreed to a joint committee. Mr Syed Razif said he would meet Tourism Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor this week, to moot the idea of having tourism ministry officers in the committee to give it effective enforcement powers to curb bad practices among travel agents in Malaysia.

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THAILAND - Bookings hit the roof for south Thailand

TTGasia.com, Dec 14 - 20, 2007

Thailand is seeing unprecedented confirmed bookings to Phuket, Khao Lak and Krabi this high season.Tour operators told TTG Asia Phuket and Khao Lak in particular, devastated by the December 2004 tsunami, were seeing an absolute turnaround and Krabi was hot on their heels.Diethlem Travel Asia chief operating officer, Mr Richard Brouwer, said: “For us, the absolute winners are Phuket and Khao Lak; hotels are full and right now, some have even stopped selling.”In terms of clientele, Mr Brouwer said Khao Lak was a gathering place for Germans and Scandinavians while Phuket enjoyed a mix of tourists from every market worldwide.Stockholm-based TUI Nordic product area manager for Italy and South-east Asia, Ms Lin Wessblad, said her company saw about 6,000 clients booked for Phuket per month this high season from October 2007 to April 2008. Krabi and nearby Koh Lanta were also doing very well in terms of volume at about 3,000 clients a month.

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VIETNAM - Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels inks second deal in China Beach, for 2007

Jones Lang LaSalle , 14 December 2007

As exclusive advisor to Magnum Asia Limited, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels (the “Firm”) is pleased to announce the completion of the acquisition of a 39-hectare prime beachfront site in Danang to US-based Kor Realty Group LLC (“Kor”). This deal marks the Firm’s second transaction this year on world-famous China Beach, Vietnam’s premier resort destination and one of the region’s most promising tourism markets.
Mr Craig Collins, Managing Director Investment Sales Asia, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, together with Ms Heng Sue Lin, Vice President, negotiated the transaction on behalf of Magnum Asia Limited.
Lining over 750 metres of pristine coastline, the spectacular beachfront site is slated for the development of Viceroy China Beach, a boutique luxury hotel. Each of the Viceroy properties of the Kor Hotel Group are renowned for their legendary locations, distinct style, and unique design.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Cambodia and Thailand sign single tourist visa deal

Reuters, 17 december 2007

Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Monday to allow foreign tourists to enter on a single visa.
"This means a tourist can get a visa either for Thailand or Cambodia and can visit the two nations," Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said after signing the agreement with visiting Thai counterpart Nitya Pibulsonggram.
The deal was the first of a hoped for series also involving Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, he said.
"We want to see the five countries become one tourist destination," Hor Namhong said.

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THAILAND - Forum to boost arrivals to Chiang Mai

Tourism Authority of Thailand, 17th December 2007

A recent forum in Thailand Chiang Mai was aimed at giving much-needed exposure to the vast range of high-quality products emerging in Northern Thailand and support the growing number of international airlines mounting flights to the city known as the “Rose of the North.”The Tourism Authority of Thailand together with the Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association organised the Chiang Mai Tourism Forum 2007 during 6-9 December, 2007, at the Holiday Inn Chiang Mai Hotel.TAT invited over 120 buyers from East and Southeast Asian countries, to meet with 50 local sellers representing golf courses, spas, boutique hotels, shopping plazas, hospitals, and restaurants in Chiang Mai and surrounding areas in the north of Thailand.

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PHILIPPINES - October tourist arrivals up by 8% despite blast

manilastandardtoday.com, Dec 13, 2007

Foreign tourists ignored the negative news and advisories about the Philippines in October, as they continued to arrive in record numbers in the country, which now has a $4-billion international tourism market.
The statistics division of the Department of Tourism said international visitor arrivals in the Philippines rose 8 percent to 241,745 in October from 223,818 a year ago, despite the Oct. 19 blast that hit a major shopping mall at the financial center of Makati.
This brought the total foreign arrivals in the first 10 months of the year to a record 2.508 million, up 8.6 percent from 2.31 million a year earlier.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Russia-Asean draft projects

sunstar.com.ph, December 17, 2007

THE Russian Government expressed last Friday strong interest in tapping the huge potential of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) bloc, particularly in relation to trade and tourism. Representatives of the Russian federation and Asean member countries converged for the sixth Asean-Russia Joint Cooperation Committee in Cebu last Dec. 13 to 14. The meeting reviewed the implementation of the Comprehensive Program of Action (CPA) to promote the Asean-Russia cooperation from 2005 to 2015. Discussions on priority areas for cooperation included culture, tourism, energy, disaster management, counter terrorism, and science and technology.

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CHINA - Luxury hotel goes from five stars to no stars

chinaview.cn, 2007-12-13

A luxury hotel that lost millions of yuan to a swindling manager has become China's first five-star hotel to lose its star status after a re-evaluation by China's tourism authority.
The Shenzhen Grand View Hotel, in south China's Guangdong Province, has admitted that its facilities and services failed to meet five-star standards, but vowed to try to win back its five stars.
The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) has begun re-evaluating the star ratings of Chinese hotels, which used to enjoy permanent star status.
The CNTA initiated re-evaluations of star hotels last year, and hundreds of hotels, with four-star status or below, were blacklisted. It said the re-evaluations of star hotels would be conducted every five years.

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THAILAND - courting Chinese tourists after 12% drop-off

Bangkokpost.com, December 17, 2007

Thailand hopes to welcome about 1.3 million Chinese tourists next year, about a 10% increase from one million visitors estimated in 2007, the Tourism Authority of Thailand in Beijing reports.
The number of Chinese arrivals visiting Thailand has been falling since last year due to Thailand's political problems and the bombs in the capital, drawing 12% fewer Chinese visitors in the first 10 months to 655,154, down from 747,067 in the same period of 2006. Total Chinese visitors would have zero growth this year.
But TAT hopes that its marketing campaigns together with explanations about the real situation in Thailand would bring back tourists from China.

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BALI - Hotels Aiming to Reduce Energy Consumption by 40% Within One Year

Balidiscovery.com, (12/15/2007)

The energy conservation program, dubbed Switch off, Unplug, Enjoy – Energy Efficient Bali, was launched on board Greenpeace's fabled Rainbow Warrior docked at Bali's Benoa Harbor.The program, based on a survey conducted by Greenpeace among 15 hotels in Nusa Dua in November 2007, outlines the steps than can be taken by hotels to reduce energy consumption and preserve the world's natural environment.The program which has been strongly endorsed by Indonesia's Minister for the Environment, Rachmat Witoelar, is aimed at all hotels, guest houses, restaurants, cafes and entertainment venues in Bali. Socialization of the program will be done through a series of educational seminars conducted among tourism industry members.

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SRI LANKA - tourism recovers from earlier slump

eTN, Dec 13, 2007

Tourism has staged a turn around from November, with a robust arrival gain of 20% for the month. The drop-in arrivals peaked in May this year to 40% after the LTTE attack on the Bandaranaike International Airport and the subsequent curfew imposed on night flights.
Since September this year, a recovery was seen with a strong turn into a positive last month. Arrivals for November was 45,102 compared with 37, 591 for the same month last year. With the current boost Sri Lanka tourism got with the Barmy Army of nearly 7,000 fans currently enjoying the cricket test matches.

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TAJIKISTAN - New player on the tourist bloc

eTurboNews Dec 13, 2007

On the Great Silk Route, Tajikistan jumps on the tourism bandwagon of destinations in Central Asia, having become one of the newest members of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) during the General Assembly in Cartagena, Colombia.
Mountainous, the landlocked country is bordered by Afghanistan to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east. If anything, tourism in Tajikistan takes pride in these grand mountain ranges including Karakorum, Kunlun and Hindukush which represent the most unique about the country.

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SINGAPORE - New Tourist Pass offers Unlimited Rides on Singapore’s Public Transport System

Asiatraveltips.com, 13 December 2007

The Singapore Land Transport Authority and the Singapore Tourism Board have launched the Singapore Tourist Pass (STP) and a Public Transport Guide for Tourists (The “Travel with Ease” Guide) – two new initiatives aimed at enhancing the visitors’ experience when commuting on Singapore’s public transport system.
The Singapore Tourist Pass, produced by EZ-Link in collaboration with LTA and STB, is the only pass in Singapore that offers tourists unlimited rides on Singapore’s public transport system with the option of a 1-Day, 2-Day or 3-Day pass for just Sin$8 per day. With the STP, travelling on Singapore’s MRT, LRT and basic bus services becomes a cost-effective and convenient way for tourists to explore Singapore and enjoy the best the city has to offer.

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CHINA - Travel Agencies Adjusting Products To New Holiday Policy

Chinahospitalitynews.com, December 11, 2007

On December 7, the State Council of the People's Republic of China approved in principle the modification of legal holidays in China.
The focus is on one-day holidays by adding Tomb Sweeping Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Festival. As the result of that, there will be five short holidays.
Many travel agencies say will unveil a series of new products as short-haul tours between 4 and 6 days to adapt to the new holiday policy. Zhang Xiaoqing, manager of marketing department of Beijing Jiedajiaqi International Travel Service, told local media that although May Day Golden Week has been reduced to one day, except for Tomb Sweeping Day, the other four short holidays (plus May Day) are possible to be new prime times for traveling.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Survey launched to set up sea tourist route

VietNamNet Bridge, 11/12/2007

A delegation left Rach Gia port in southern Kien Giang Province on December 10, starting a trip to survey a sea tourist route linking Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.The delegation, including 162 representatives from the three countries’ travel administrations and agencies, will call at tourist sites in Kep, KoKong and Shihanoukville of Cambodia and Thailand’s Trat and Chanthaburi provinces and Pattaya resort city, to assess local tourism potential and then propose orientations to tap the advantages.At every destination, the delegation will work with local authorities on tourism development and host exchanges between visiting and local enterprises.

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VIETNAM - Doing business successfully in Vietnam

Bangkokpost.com, December 08, 2007

As Thai businessmen continue to look at Vietnam as a destination to invest, experts warn that doing business in the country that is just opening up its doors can be a double-edged sword.
Doing it right means you have hit a jackpot but landing on the wrong footing can send shivers through your business. As one who has been involved with Vietnam for a long time, I am writing this as a piece of advice for all entrepreneurs who are looking at Vietnam as their investment destination.
Doing business in Vietnam can be easy or difficult, depending on the nature of your product, your business skills, and your awareness of its culture, working and consumption habits and laws.

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THAILAND - High-end tourists targeted

nationmultimedia.com, December 10, 2007

The Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association have just concluded the four-day Chiang Mai Tourism Forum 2007, held in a bid to attract more high-end international visitors.The TAT invited more than 120 buyers from East and Southeast Asia to meet 50 local sellers representing golf courses, spas, boutique hotels, shopping plazas, hospitals and restaurants in Chiang Mai and surrounding areas.

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BRUNEI - Tourist Arrivals Surpass ’07 Target

Brudirect.com, 8-12-2007

Tourist arrivals in the first 11 months of the year rose considerably from last year, even exceeding the country's target for all of this year, a government official told The Brunei Times yesterday.
"Our tourism sector is doing very nicely," said Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohammad, director of the Brunei Tourism Development Department.
"For this year alone there were 176,000 tourists, our target was a seven-per cent increase but now we see there is a ... (bigger) increase from last year when there were 120,000 tourists coming in."

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CAMBODIA - S Korean, Chinese tourists most frequent in Siem Reap of Cambodia

chinaview.cn 2007-12-08

Most of the foreign tourists coming to Siem Reap, where the renowned Angkor Wat is situated, were from South Korea and China in October, Chinese-language newspaper the Commercial News reported on Saturday.
The percentage is unclear, but they just shared the majority, the paper quoted a report from the provincial tourism authority assaying. Meanwhile, altogether 170,180 people visited Siem Reap in October, it said. Among them, 86,833 were foreigners, a 22.15 percent increase over the same period last year, and 83,347 Cambodians, a rise of 50.93 percent, it said.

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UAE -Dubai expects over 200,000 cruise tourists for 2007-2008 season

ameinfo.com, 10.12.2007

Dubai welcomed six cruise ships at its state-of-the-art cruise terminal since the start of cruise season in October.
Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, Executive Director for Heritage and Cruise at the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said the cruise tourism season had a good start and several cruise ships from various parts of the world are expected to visit the emirate until the end of the season in April.
The ship-shaped cruise terminal, opened in 2001, measures 3300 square metres and is able to accommodate two ships simultaneously on a 335-metre quay The Dubai Cruise Terminal is the world's first to receive ISO-9002 certification and also the world's only cruise facility run by the government tourism body, DTCM. The Dubai cruise terminal is able to accommodate two ships simultaneously.

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INDONESIA - Is Bali Losing its Cultural Compass?

Balidiscovery.com, (12/8/2007)

Speaking at a seminar held in Bali on December 2, 2007, Indonesia's former Minister of Culture and Tourism. I Gede Ardika warned that Bali was increasingly disassociating itself from its traditional values.Quoted by the National News Agency Antara, Ardika delivered an address entitled - "Bali's Tourism: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Challenges for Nature and the Balinese People" – in which he said that the people of Bali were increasingly upset by the new attitude that considers all things are permissible in pursuit of private goals.

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INDIA - Punjab plans mega eco tourism project

travelbizmonitor.com, 10-12-2007

Department of Tourism, Punjab is planning a major eco tourism initiative and will implement the proposed project by creating a special Directorate or Society under the Forest and Wild Life Department or Punjab State Forest Development Corporation (PSFDC). This development comes in the wake of the Eco Tourism Policy for Punjab drafted recently by the state Forest Department. The proposed mega project with an outlay of an investment Rs 128 core and time frame of about eight years from next financial year includes eco site development, creating environment parks, setting up interpretation centres, creating infrastructure, accommodation, facilitation centres, chalking out trekking routes, expansion of lake at Chhatbir Zoo and introduction of toy train, procuring equipment like boats, vehicles etc., setting up information booths at strategic locations like airports and bus stations and brand building and promotion campaigns.

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KOREA - North Korean Leader Kim Jong-il Boosts Mount Baekdu Inter-Korean Tourism Project

(eTN) 10-12-2007

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has given warm encouragement to local workers developing Mount Baekdu, the highest point on the peninsula that will be opened to South Korean tourists next year, the North's broadcaster said Saturday.
South and North Korea agreed to open a direct flight route between Seoul and the North's Mount Baekdu during their second summit in October. The inter-Korean tour, set to start in May, is organized by South Korea's Hyundai Group.
Kim "expressed his gratitude to officials and workers who have wholeheartedly supported the development of the Mount Baekdu area," the Korean Central Broadcasting Station, monitored in Seoul, said, naming technicians, researchers and factory workers involved in the project.

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VIETNAM - welcomes year's 4 millionth foreign tourist

(eTN) 7-12-2007

Vietnam on Thursday greeted its four-millionth visitor of the year, celebrating a milestone for the tourism sector as it is seeking to position itself as a leading Southeast Asian travel destination.
US citizen Michael Davis Magidson was surprised to be greeted with flowers by women wearing traditional au dai dresses and conical hats as he stepped off a Vietnam Airlines flight at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport.
"We look forward to seeing your beautiful country," said Magidson at a ceremony to mark his arrival on flight VN 830 from Bangkok, which meant the sector had achieved its annual target several weeks ahead of time.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Battleground Bali: Developing countries take on industrialized countries

eTN Asia/Pacific , 9-12-2007

Australia, China and Malaysia are questioning whether Canada is trying to "rewrite" history by putting the burden of emissions control on poorer countries as the climate change conference in Bali becomes a battleground between the developing countries and industrialized countries.
China, which has been accused as the planet's worst polluters along with the United States, has accused Canada of targeting poorer countries over mandatory emission control cuts.
"I just wonder of it is fair to ask developing countries to take on binding targets," said Su Wei, a member of China's delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, ahead of the arrival of ministers for environment from 180 countries next week.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau Meet For Tourism Cooperation

Chinahospitalitynews.com, December 5, 2007

The tourism authorities from the three places agreed in the meeting to set up a rotation of chairmanship system under the Guangdong - Hong Kong – Macau Tourism marketing cooperation framework, with the Guangdong Provincial Tourism Bureau assuming chairmanship in 2008, while Hong Kong Tourism Board and Macau Government Tourist Office will be the chairman for 2009 and 2010, respectively.
In addition, the three places have reached consensus to strengthen promotion in overseas markets, in particular, to develop more multi-destination itineraries of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau for the East Asian and Southeast Asian markets.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Lame ‘US$ effect’ on Asia

TTGasia, Nov 30 - Dec 6, 2007

In fact, some Asian destinations quote in US dollars, so their values are equally good, according to operators, although in cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore, rates have risen sharply with their greater focus on the corporate rather than leisure market.That said, Asia’s beach resorts’ share of the UK market may be diluted by the Caribbean, where prices are in US dollars, air lift is good and consumer image is positive.
Thus far, however, UK Far East specialists all report strong forward bookings for 2008, with all destinations doing well, except Malaysia, which is struggling due to a lack of direct flights and a lack of new products.

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DUBAI - Tourism Vital for Dubai

koreatimes.co.kr, 3-12-2007

Tourism is already a crucial part of Dubai's economy, and is becoming of increasing importance of all of the other emirates, and is projected to rise over the next decade at well above the global growth rate.
The industry already provides nearly 12 percent of total employment in the country, or nearly 300,000 people, and jobs in this sector are expected to increase to over 375,000 by 2016.
This, in turn, has fuelled growth in the country's aviation industry, with particular success stories being the two main national airlines, Dubai-based Emirates and Abu Dhabi's Etihad, as well as the low-cost carrier Air Arabia, each of whom have added numerous new destinations to their networks during the course of 2007.

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SINGAPORE - Changi Airport Terminal 3 gears up for opening

stbpassport.com, Dec 7th 2007

Come 9 January 2008, Changi Airport, consistently rated one of the world's best airports, will have its brand new Terminal 3 open for operations.
At a cost of S$1.75 billion, the Terminal 3 will add a capacity of 22 million passengers a year, bringing the total capacity of Changi Airport to 70 million passengers.
From 12 November to 9 December 2007, the public is being given a sneak preview of the terminal with some shops already open and offering discounts to entice visitors.
Meanwhile, the Civil Administration Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announced recently that four more airlines, in addition to Singapore Airlines, will operate from the new terminal. They are China Eastern Airlines, Jet Airways, Qatar Airways and United Airlines.

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SINGAPORE - Mandai to be transformed into nature-based destination

stbpassport.com, Dec 7th 2007

Plans are afoot to transform the Mandai area,where the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari are located, into one of Asia's top family destinations.
Leveraging on these two internationally acclaimed world-class attractions, Mandai is envisioned to be transformed into a unique animal and nature-themed experience comprising quality nature-themed attractions, accommodation and lifestyle offerings that embrace the rich biodiversity of the area, and encourage longer-term conservation of the natural environment in Mandai.

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THAILAND - Investors line up for Phuket projects

Traveldailyasia.com, 12/4/2007

Foreign investors have revealed plans to spend about Bt6 billion in hotels in Phuket and other major tourist destinations in Thailand over the next three years.
The Nation reported that at least four international investment companies from Singapore and Malaysia and some Thai operators had confirmed big investment plans in Phuket last week.
According to the report, the main focus of their interest is Phuket but others such as Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Ayutthaya and Koh Samui are also in their radar screen.
Fong Wiai Leong, a partner in Kuala Lumpur-based investment consultancy Devonshire Development Capital, was quoted saying that said the group was planning to invest in "lifestyle hotels" in Phuket, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai with a total budget of more than US$100 million.

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BRUNEI - Ready to engage

TTGasia.com, Nov 30 - Dec 6, 2007

ROYAL Brunei Airlines (RBA) resumed thrice-weekly services between Brunei’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan and Kuching, Sarawak on December 1, and the year ahead looks bright for the tourism industry in Borneo.There are better rural air services in Sabah and Sarawak since Malaysia Airlines subsidiary, MASWings, took over the Borneo routes from October 1. This has given travel agents and the tourism boards of Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei confidence to promote Borneo jointly as a single destination through The Wings of Borneo tour packages. Targeted at the longhaul European market, it was launched at the recent World Travel Mart in London. Three travel agents are involved – Sunshine Borneo Tours in Brunei, Seridan Mulu Tours & Travel Services in Sarawak and Borneo Eco-Tours in Sabah.

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VIETNAM - Phan Thiet beckons with beach allure

TTGasia.com, Nov 30 - Dec 6, 2007

MOST travel agents do not know of Mui Ne or Phan Thiet, but they should as this area is being discovered by international tourists, mostly Europeans and Russians.But more travellers from Asia, Australia and the US are being drawn to Mui Ne’s long stretches of deserted beaches, impressive landscape and delicious food. Mui Ne is about 15 minutes by car from Phan Thiet, the capital city of Binh Thuan province in central Vietnam. Access is by road or train as there is no commercial airport close by. The drive north from Ho Chi Minh City on Highway One should take about four hours.

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TAIWAN - targets three promising sectors

TTGasia.com, Nov 30 - Dec 6, 2007

To increase foreign arrivals, Taiwan’s Cabinet-level Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) announced it would ramp up promotions to market sectors with especially promising growth potential, including medical tourism, the Japanese market and MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions).

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VIETNAM - lines up sea tourism hub

Asia Property Report - December 04 2007

The central province of Binh Thuan has been asked to combine economic restructuring with human resource development and job placement to tap into sea and tourism-based industries.Working with Binh Thuan leaders on December 3, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong said the province, which boasts 52,000sq.km of sea and 92km of coast, should also make a determined effort to protect the environment, preserve cultural identity and manage social affairs efficiently and effectively.

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NEPAL - Tourist arrival up by 17.6 pc

nepalnews.com, Dec 4 2007

The number of visitors coming to Nepal by air in November has registered a healthy growth of 17.6 percent compared to the same month last year.
According to the data released by the Immigration Office, the total number of visitors to Nepal in November reached 34,480 with major tourist generating non-Asian markets showing encouraging growth.
The data shows that the major European markets have recorded average growth of 46 percent in this month, with UK (56.9%), Germany (42%), France (50.8%), Spain (27.9%), the Netherlands (48.4%) and Switzerland (69.2%), showing growing consumer confidence for travel to Nepal and a positive sign for Nepalese travel trade.

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PHILIPPINES - Pests, migration threaten 2,000-year-old rice terraces

(AFP) December 4 2007

After putting his seedlings to bed in the world-famous Banaue rice terraces in the northern Philippines, farmer Gabriel Balicdon works as a tourist guide and buys rice from the grocer.
Built by Ifugaos -- illiterate mountain farmers and woodcarvers -- at about the same time the Pyramids of Egypt and the Great Wall of China were being constructed, the terraces look like giant staircases leading to the clouds.
But now migration, the lure of easy tourist money and a plague of giant earthworms imperil the 2,000-year-old structures that follow the contours of the Cordileras mountains.
The flooded terraced paddies that draw nearly 100,000 tourists a year have since 2001 been on the "endangered list" of the UN's World Heritage sites.

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THAILAND - Dream destination taking shape in Bang Saray

Bangkokpost.com, 3 December 2007

Thailand's money-spinning tourism industry could get a major boost when the first phase of The Beaches, a major destination resort and spa development at Bang Saray Bay, is completed in three and half years.
This project is positioned to have something for everyone _ a water-themed park, man-made private beaches, a kilometre-long boardwalk lined with shops and restaurants, and even villas over the water, taking their inspiration from the Maldives. All this grandeur will be very 21st century, with the whole site being served with super high-speed Internet and a cashless payment system.

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CAMBODIA - River Dolphins in bid to renew Northeast Cambodian economy

traveldailynews.com, December 04, 2007

The last 80 or so river dolphins in the Mekong River are at the heart of an ambitious development programme to tackle poverty and attract tens of thousands of visitors to two of the poorest provinces of Cambodia. The Mekong River Discovery Trail Project will draw visitors to view the endangered fresh water dolphin which lives in 10 deep water natural pools in a 190-km stretch of the Mekong River, mostly between the quiet provincial capitals of Kratie and Stung Treng.

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THAILAND - Medical Tourism Creates Thai Doctor Shortage

eTN, Dec 3 2007

Millions of people come to Bangkok for medical care. They get everything from face-lifts to heart-bypass operations. These medical tourists have helped boost the Thai economy, but there's a downside. Doctors in Thailand have become so busy with foreigners that Thai patients are having trouble getting care.
When medical tourists come to Bangkok, they usually go to places like Bumrungrad Hospital. It's a private facility, downtown, near the fancy hotels. It has a sushi bar, interpreters who speak Arabic and Mandarin, and VIP suites with marble bathrooms.
Most Thais can't afford it. They're more likely go across town to Siriraj Hospital, along the banks of the Chao Phraya River.

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SINGAPORE - Vietnamese tourists keen on Singapore

eTN, Dec 3 2007

The city-state is fast becoming the destination of choice for Vietnamese tourists drawn by its reputation as a safe, cosmopolitan city, published data said on Sunday.
Vietnam charted the highest visitor-arrival growth in September with 16,000 visitors, a 24.3 per cent hike over the corresponding period a year earlier.
The absolute number is small given the overall figure of 766,000 visitors for that month, according to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) data in The Sunday Times.
Most were from Indonesia, China, Australia, India, and Japan.
"Vietnamese visitors are becoming more travel-savvy," Chang Chee Pey, the STB's regional director for the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) was quoted as saying.

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BALI - Meeting Seeks a World Consensus to Prevent a Global Melt Down

Balidiscovery.com, (12/1/2007)

While Bali prepares to host leadership delegations from more than 189 countries at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), it's worthwhile to re-emphasize here how vitally important the meetings and declarations hammered out between December 3-14th will be to the people of the world.Lest we be in doubt as to what's at stake, the words of the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, who say that the Earth faces a real scenario more terrifying than any science fiction movies should serve as a haunting reminder of what must be achieved in Bali.

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BALI - No Strings Attached

Balisdiscovery.com, (12/1/2007)

Tempo Interaktif reports that the State Power Board (PLN) have asked the people of Bali not to engage in their favorite pastime of kite flying during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) set to take place in Nusa Dua from December 3-14, 2007.PLN officials told the press that they have forwarded their request to village chiefs across the island because they are worried that kites may interfere with the electrical distribution system.The extremely large kites flown by many village associations are often held aloft by wires that when they accidentally come in contact with high voltage lines can act as conductors causing short circuits.

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INDONESIA - Seeking Continental Advice

Balidiscovery.com, (12/1/2007)

Vice President Jusuf Kalla has instructed Garuda Indonesia to seek an European-based consultant in order to enhance the quality and standards of aviation safety. The instructions to hire a foreign consultant comes as something of a surprise from the man who, in the past, has made no secret of his preference for local consultants.An interview with the Vice President published in the Bali Post on December 1, 2007, provides background on Kalla's call for the urgent hiring of an European aviation consultant.
The Interview: Jusuf Kalla

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BALI - Tourists encounter frightened dolphins

eTN, Dec 5 2007

The management of the dolphin watching business has also been criticized. "Can you imagine, during peak season hundreds of boats head out to sea in the same direction to watch the dolphins," said Made Rudita, the head of the Catur Karya Bhakti Sraga group in Kalibukbuk.
Once dolphins are spotted, the boats race to get into the best position. Many people are satisfied by the experience, but others return from sea complaining the dolphins were chased and cornered by the boats.

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