ACCOMMODATION - Asian hotel sales hit record US$10.8 billion

Traveldailyasia.com, 1/22/2008

Hotel transaction activity in Asia reached US$10.8 billion last year, more than double the previous high of US$5 billion recorded in 2006.
During 2007, the Asian hotel market witnessed 83 major (valued above US$5 million) transactions. Japan recorded the highest transaction activity totalling US$6.8 billion; including four out of the five largest transactions including the IHG / ANA portfolio sold by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.
"Asia's hotel markets continue to perform well, driven by strong local economies and expanding leisure markets," said Scott Hetherington, Managing Director Asia, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.
On average, investors paid approximately US$225,000 per room for hotels across Asia.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Tourism as a good Samaritan for the poor

eTN, Jan 09, 2008

Since 2004, SNV and the UNWTO has forged ahead with pro-poor sustainable activities, especially in regions where SNV is active such as West/ East/ Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, the Himalayan region, the Andes/ Amazon region, the Central American region and the Balkans. The organization seeds money to launch activities.
“It is working,” said Dirk Essen, SNV’s chairman and director of the board. For instance, in Lao PDR, two projects in the area of Viengxay in the north-eastern part of the country were completed. There are approximately 200 limestone karst caves of historical and cultural importance. SNV guided in developing and marketing the area, turning the war shelter into a poverty shelter.

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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 - 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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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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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - During economic downturn, in Asia we trust

forimmediaterelease.net, November 25, 2007

Companies expecting to dance across Asia and forge a successful business by applying blanket distribution models or successful European and US models, will either fail miserably or cost themselves needlessly. Distributing travel products across a region as economically, politically and culturally diverse as Asia is a tremendously complicated proposition. Add Australia, New Zealand and the other islands of the Pacific into the mix as well, and suddenly the recipe grows increasingly murky.The allure of the Far East from overseas investors is still alive and extremely healthy however. What began with India and China now looks likely to continue further South-East into Vietnam and the Philippines, where internet penetration is slowly but surely making inroads. Internet penetration is widely accepted as a measure of a country’s financial stability and prosperity, so with around 20% of both countries populations now internet capable their industries are ripening.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Asean Leaders Agree to Form EU-Style Bloc by 2015

Bloomberg, Nov. 20 2007

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will today agree to eliminate trade barriers for goods and services in an attempt to create a European Union-modeled economic community by 2015.
The 10 members of the group will adopt an Asean Economic Community Blueprint aimed at eliminating trade barriers, the leaders will say in a declaration obtained by Bloomberg News.
Member nations say integration, styled after the EU without a common currency or passport-free travel, is essential for the group as it competes with China and India for exports and investments.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - reports of 2007 closing strongly

TTGasia.com, Nov 16-22, 2007

The closing months of 2007 are quite positive for us. Our occupancy rate is 76 per cent and our average room rate is 2,500 pesos (US$54).

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched many promotional campaigns together with airlines and agents and has staged various international tourism roadshows. The increase of flight frequencies and the introduction of direct international services into Thailand play a vital role in boosting the number of visitor arrivals.

India’s heritage and culture continues to attract visitors. Niche segments such as adventure tourism in the Himalayas and wellness and spiritual tours are also on the upward trend. Medical tourism is growing even faster than leisure tourism.

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AVIATION - IATA puts damper on Southeast Asia open skies

eTN Asia/Pacific , November 13 2007

Amid the euphoria of low-cost carriers being granted new landing rights in the ASEAN region, the International Air Transport Association is saying the region is still a long way from liberalizing the aviation industry.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has dampened the euphoria felt by air passengers in ASEAN member countries with the recent agreement by the Malaysian and Singapore governments to allow “limited” low-cost flights by warning that Southeast Asian nations are still a long way from liberalizing the aviation industry."I think there is a long way to go," said Mike Barclay, regional vice president of IATA. "Regulations still obstruct carriers in the region, hampering the industry's growth."

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - UN studies sustainable religious tourism

bangkokpost.com, November 5 2007

With millions of people now on the move for ''religious tourism,'' the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has begun to turn its attention towards studying and analysing the issues related to its sustainability.
The growth of interest in the Buddhist circuit is one aspect of this phenomena which covers two kinds of travellers: those who travel specifically for religious purposes such as a pilgrimage and those who travel for other purposes but include visits to religious monuments as part of their trip. Last week, UNWTO with the support of the Spanish government, organised an ''International Conference on Tourism, Religions and Dialogue of Cultures'' to expand the level of discourse into areas that have long been neglected because they were considered too politically and culturally sensitive.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Flow of tourists from Indochina seen surging

Bangkokpost, 15th October 2007

Private tourism operators are being urged to prepare for an influx of foreign tourists as the East-West Economic Corridor linking Burma, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam approaches completion.
According to Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, deputy secretary general to National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), the East-West Economic Corridor linking Thailand, Laos and Vietnam has been finished, with the construction of 18 kilometres in Burma nearly completed.
The economic corridor is created based on a road of 1,450 km with the west end at port city of Mawlamyine (Burma), crossing Kayin Division, the Thai provinces of Tak, Sukhothai, Kalasin, Phitsanulok, Khon Kaen, Yasothon, Mukdahan and the Laotian provinces of Savannakhet, Vietnamese provinces of Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue Province and Da Nang city as the east end.

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MARKETS - Asia Pacific Tourism Continues to Break Records

Pata.org, September 25, 2007

There were close to 356 million international trips to Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) member destinations in 2006, representing region-wide year-on-year growth of 5.3% over 2005. This was revealed by the ‘PATA Annual Statistical Report 2006’, launched today during a strategic intelligence workshop at PATA Travel Mart 2007 in Bali, which has set a new year-to-date record for arrivals. “Calendar year 2006 was very successful in terms of international visitor arrivals (IVAs) into and within Asia Pacific,” said PATA Director - Strategic Intelligence Centre (SIC) Mr John Koldowski. The following destinations posted “best-ever performances” in 2006:
• Chile, in the Americas;
• Bhutan, India and Pakistan, in South Asia;
• China (PRC), Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Korea (ROK) Macau SAR and Mongolia, in Northeast Asia;
• Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar. Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, in Southeast Asia; and
• Australia, Cook Islands, Hawaii, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea and Samoa, in the Pacific.
“Asia Pacific may attract up to 380 million IVAs in 2007,” he added. “So far this year the region has added 13.8 million international visitor arrivals compared to the same period in 2006, an expansion of 7.1% year-on-year.”

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INDONESIA - ASEAN Tourism Investment Forum in Bali

Balidiscovery.com, (9/16/2007)

As reported in TBSC-Strategic Communication's Indonesian Digest, the ASEAN Tourism Investment Forum (ATIF) will be held in Bali September 20-22, 2007. Organized back to back with the PATA Travel Mart, the Forum will be followed by the ASEAN Task Force Meeting before the commencement of the PATA Travel Mart September 25-28, 2007."The strategic importance of the tourism industry to support sustainable socio-economic growth of ASEAN Member States and the diversity in cultures, economy, and the complementary advantages across the region, will benefit tourism development in ASEAN in the pursuit of improved regional quality of life, peace and prosperity", says an ATIF brochure.

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AVIATION - With thousands signing up as early space tourists, a new race is on

iht.com, September 5, 2007

There are already several dozen space tourism ventures in various stages of development worldwide, analysts say, offering experiences ranging from a brief trip to the outer limits of the Earth's atmosphere to an extended stay in a zero-gravity space hotel. Public and private investors in places as far flung as Dubai, New Mexico and Singapore are preparing to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to develop full-blown "spaceports," complete with hotels, museums, Imax theaters and other space-themed diversions.With the first paying passengers expected to take flight sometime in late 2009, Futron, a market research firm, predicts that as many as 14,000 space tourists will be heading into space each year by 2021, generating annual revenue of more than $700 million.

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THAILAND - Las Vegas Sands eyes Kingdom

The Nation Business, September 3, 2007

To Adelson, integrated resorts like the Cotai Strip, which includes 14 five-star hotel brands, casinos, convention and exhibition halls, arenas and other amenities under one roof,
are effective magnets to draw tourists. He also insisted that it would be a boon to the cities where the developments were located as they would create jobs. The Cotai Strip, which will be completed in the next 26-30 months with 20,000 hotel rooms, will hire 70,000 people. In the next five years, supported by the development, Macau will be like Las Vegas.

Despite the giant development project, Adelson believes that there are opportunities for future developments in other countries, including Thailand. However, all development projects must incorporate casinos, as this will generate ample revenue to subsidise other services. To Adelson, every country has a chance to bring in new tourists. He is in discussion with a country which welcomes 8-10 million tourists a year. He is confident that if an integrated resort is allowed in this country, arrivals will double.

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MARKETS - Generation 'S'

TTGasia.com, Jun 29 - Jul 5, 2007

Call them seniors or the silver segment. They have always been a lucrative niche to tap, and the world’s population is ageing. Many in the age group today have better health and better access to choices, thanks to the Internet. Mak Ying Kwan looks at the mindset change needed to cater to this market.SENIOR travellers run the gamut, from well-off retirees willing to spend generously on overseas holidays to those with more limited means who travel on a budget.This means there are opportunities for everyone in the tourism industry, from luxury hotels to limited service accommodation facilities, from travel agents offering customised, top-end packages to those selling seat-in coach tours.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia join forces to develop tourism

Vietnam Net bridge, 29/06/2007

Dinh Hai, director of Quang Nam's Department of Tourism, told the Daily that the tourism authorities of Siem Reap, Luang Prabang, Champasak and Quang Nam would sign the deal on the sidelines of a tourism festival.
The four-day Quang Nam - Heritage Road Festival 2007 kicked off on Wednesday in the World Heritage-listed town of Hoi An.
The four provinces, Hai said, will jointly market tourism products and promote their World Heritage sites. "We have special tourist attractions - World Heritage sites, so we want to join hands to introduce them to attract tourists," he said.
The UNESCO-recognized World Heritage sites are Hoi An and My Son in Quang Nam, Luang Prabang and Wat Phou in Luang Prabang, and Angkor Wat in Siem Reap.

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - Asia Pacific Region continues to Lead World Tourism Growth

Asiatraveltips.com, 2 July 2007

The year 2007 has started on a higher than expected note for global tourism. From January through April, international tourist arrivals worldwide rose by over 6% to 252 million, representing an additional 15 million arrivals as against the same period in 2006, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.
Asia and the Pacific (+9%) achieved the strongest growth, followed by Africa (+8%), the Middle East (+8%) and Europe (+6%). Although arrivals to the Americas (+4%), showed the slowest growth rate among the world regions during the first four months of 2007, this performance is nevertheless very positive as the region doubled the 2007 forecast growth (+2%).

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS - India, Pakistan to discuss group tourism

The Hindu, 29-6-2007

India and Pakistan are in talks about strengthening their tourism ties.
ISLAMABAD - A proposal to permit group tourism between India and Pakistan, and increasing the number of religious shrines that pilgrims from either country can visit on the other side, are on the agenda for the two-day talks between the two culture secretaries that will begin here on Thursday.Permit for touristsAt present, India and Pakistan do not permit tourists from either country, but both sides recently included group tourism among proposals to liberalise their respective visa regimes.

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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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