Tourism Travel Asia | tta

Tourism in the world of technology

2011-05-18T22:12:00.000-07:00

How does it draw the line between technology and personal service? There is no doubt that technology plays an important role in tourism and travel. Most of us are now used to booking our airline reservations on line, dealing with telephone trees and other cost saving devices. These technological advances have allowed corporations to save on manpower while at the same time empowering customers to make their own decisions.

On the other side of the equation, travelers use more technology than ever before and often the tourism industry has taken advantage of this desire (need) to stay in touch with its clientele. Most of us are now used to being almost harassed with on-line surveys or computer driven telephone calls. Now we have entered into the world of e-marketing, a system that may be called an advanced form of "spam."

Although many hotels do provide free internet services, many of the "better" hotels have added additional charges for local calls, for internet access and a per page fee to receive a fax. These additional charges combined with less personalized service often means that travelers have the idea that technology has become a one-way street. Technology is used to provide less personalized service and at the same time to generate additional revenue at hotels, on airplanes, and at transportation hubs.

Despite the misuse of technology, tourism and travel are highly dependent on technology and its use has made life a whole lot easier. There is no doubt that the cell phone has become a major part of our lives. And although technology etiquette may lag behind technology machinery the inconvenience of someone speaking too loud on a cell phone is more than outweighed by the safety, security and convenience that cell phones bring to most of us.

On the other hand, technology's growth has allowed worldwide terrorism to attack the tourism industry. Cell phones can save lives or detonate bombs; air conditioning units serve to make life bearable in hot climates, but also pollute the atmosphere and can be carriers of disease. The dawn of the computer age permits us to know weather forecasts around the world, allows business travelers to stay in touch with their offices and to supersede the problem of cross time zones negotiation, but can be used to destroy air travel.

Technology then has become a mixed bag for the tourism industry. It creates a great deal of conveniences while at the same time has been used as a way to increase revenues and to lessen customer service. The world of technology has made air travel safe and abundant but has also brought about the need to go through long security lines and daily hassles.

Certainly, some parts of the industry have begun to use technology prudently. When used ethically, technology can be a great help in increasing our communication and security. If on the other hand technology is used for selfish or destructive purposes than it can become a nemesis within the travel and tourism industry. Hamlet's question "to be or not to be" has never seemed more poignant in its relationship to travel and tourism.

To help you decide how much or how little technology is right for your tourism business, Tourism Tidbits offers the following suggestions:

Remember that tourism is about people "interfacing" with other people

No matter how good your technology may be, technology does not provide human warmth of take-home experiences. Be mindful that tourism is about the selling of memories and then ask yourself at what point are you willing to sacrifice memories for efficiency.

Make sure that your employees are well trained in the use of technology

Technology is only as good as the people who use it. Often tourism centers hire people who simply are not up to the task, misuse the technology and create more problems than they solve. Train, train and then train your people some more. Do not update so often that your employees' knowledge base lags behind the technology's capabilities.

Use technology wisely

While even the best computer can never substitute the care and love that comes from another human being, technology if used properly can solve many a problem in tourism. Among these are:

Issues of time: Nothing upsets the tourism industry's clientele as much as the misuse of time. The proper use of computers to facilitate both check-ins and check-outs of places such as hotels, allows the person-on-duty to attend to other problems.Clarity and consistency: In an interrelated multi-lingual world a great deal of information can be provided to guests in their own language without linguistic, pronunciation or grammatical errors.

Ease of place: Use technology and social networks to allow visitors to research from home and to gather basic information. However, many hotels and transportation companies seem to hide telephone numbers on their web sites. Combine basic information that can be given on a computer with the human side of information. Remember that if the tourist can never reach you, then you may find that your customer has found a more user-friendly location.

If we like it or not technology touches almost every aspect of the tourism industry. If we are smart enough to use the benefits of technology such as convenience, speed, and accuracy and avoid some of the pitfalls, user friendliness, size of lettering, and lack of human contact, then technology can be a great time and cost saver. But if the tourism industry forgets the importance of the human element and that tourism is all about the experience then it is making a major error.

Laos aims for billion dollar tourism industry by 2020

2011-05-17T23:12:00.000-07:00

Around 50 participants attended the 3rd Quarterly Symposium on Tourism Sector Human Resources Development in Laos, which was organised by the Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality (LANITH) in collaboration with the Lao National Tourism Administration through the support of the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Project.

Chief Technical Advisor of LANITH Mr Peter Semone said “Attendees will plan future strategies to turn Lao tourism into a billion dollar industry. They will also learn about future changes to tourism in the country and what it will take to achieve them.”He said that in 2010, there were 2.5 million visitors to Laos and the Lao tourism sector received US$400 million in revenue, second only behind the mining sector.

Eighty percent of visitors were from within the region. However, most stayed only a short time in Laos, meaning they accounted for only 45 percent of revenue in the tourism sector, with the rest coming from tourists from other regions, Mr Semone said.

“So, today we will discuss how to manage tourism services and increase tourist stays per diem to achieve one billion dollars in revenue by 2020.”“It is not only up to us, the tourism sector, to achieve the goal, but all communities. Laos also needs to improve its quality of services through education and training programmes,” he added.

LANITH also asked Cornell University Hotel School’s former Associate Dean and Professor of Strategic Management, Human Resources and Management Dr Thomas P. Cullen to pick up his crystal ball and make some predictions about how tourism will look in Laos in the year 2020, he said.Technical Education Advisor of LANITH Ms Maeve O’Brien said the institute plans to open a school for hospitality, tourism and education at Pakpasak Technical College by 2014.

“Our institute currently offers short training programmes on tourism skills in Laos and we will have 18 well-equipped trainers by the end of the year,” she said, adding the short-term programmes take two to 10 days to complete.

World'sTop Value Destinations for Travellers on the Singapore Dollar

2011-05-17T02:21:00.000-07:00

Online travel company Expedia has revealed some of the world’s top value destinations for travellers on the Singapore Dollar.According to the Expedia Foreign Exchange Index, which was developed in conjunction with foreign exchange specialist HiFX, Vietnam is currently the best-value destination, with the Singapore Dollar appreciating by more than 22% against the Vietnamese Dong in the past 12 months.

Hong Kong and India are also ranking high in the list, with the Singapore Dollar appreciating about 12% against the Hong Kong Dollar and Indian Rupee year-on-year.Other Asian countries that made the ‘Top 20 Best Value Destinations’ based on the value of the Singapore Dollar are Laos (up 8.7%), Sri Lanka (up 8.38%), the Philippines (up 7.82%), Indonesia (up 7.16%), China (up 6.64%) and South Korea (up 6.58%).

“Asia remains one of the best value-for-money destinations for travellers from Singapore. With the upcoming school and summer holidays, budget conscious travellers such as families and students should plan ahead now to take advantage of the strong currency and great offers available,” said Dan Lynn, Managing Director, Expedia Asia Pacific.

The Index also shows countries such as Kenya, Egypt, Argentina and Turkey in the top 20. The USA ranks as the eighth best value destination due to the Singapore Dollar performing well against the ‘Greenback’, delighting travellers looking to stretch their Singapore Dollars when shopping for popular brands on their overseas trips.

“The Singapore Dollar has been buoyed by strong economic growth, and with policy makers looking to allow the currency to appreciate to combat inflationary pressures, this is likely to continue. As a result, it’s a great time to be taking the Singapore Dollar abroad for shopping and overseas holidays’, explained Nick Brain, Consultant, HiFX.

From 24 May – 30 June, Expedia.com.sg is offering a discount of up to 50% off on hotels in some of the region’s top value destinations.Valid for travel till the end of August 2011, more than 10 Asian destinations will be on offer including Hong Kong, Macau, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Korea and China. Travellers will also receive an additional 10% discount coupon when booking their favourite Asian destination during this period.

Philippines targets tourists from Russia, India

2011-04-28T23:07:00.000-07:00

The Tourism Department will pursue aggressive campaigns to attract more foreign tourists, especially those from Korea, China and Japan and emerging markets like Russia and India.

Secretary Alberto Lim said during a press briefing Tuesday that the department was looking to surpass the number of foreign tourists it posted in 2010. Tourist arrivals in the first two months of the year grew 18 percent year-on-year to 670,000, data show.

“Tourism revenues accounted for 6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product for 2010. The government’s pursuit of an open civil aviation industry signals that the Philippines is open for business,” Lim said, adding that the 20 million local travels recorded last year could be sustained until 2016.

He said the start of a direct flight to New Delhi by Philippine Airlines would boost tourism, with India now considered one of the emerging markets.

The department has signed an agreement with the Philippine Retailers Association and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry to conduct free training of retailers in the country’s tourist hotspots on how to sell local products to foreign tourists.

“Tourism greatly helped the retail industry last year as spending went up due to the increased visitor turnout. And with this micro-tourism enterprise project in full swing, we do hope we can exceed expectations this year,” Lim said.

Samie Lim, PCCI vice president for tourism, said tourism boosted the retail industry. Tourism said 27 percent of tourist’s spending in 2010 went to shopping. The retail industry, meanwhile, grew 12 percent last year after expanding 5.5 percent in 2009.

Vietnam remains a “hidden beauty” in the eyes of foreign tourists

2011-03-29T22:50:00.000-07:00

Vietnam has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to show its beautiful landscapes on famous television channels CNN or BBC, or to advertise on taxis in London. However, Vietnam remains an unknown and hidden charm to foreign travelers. The arrow that failed to reach the target In recent years, Vietnam has been paying more attention to promoting tourism. However, the result remains modest. In the second half of 2010 alone, Vietnam spent 5.3 billion dong to run advertisement campaigns on CNN, which gobbled up 12 percent of the total budget for the yearly national tourism promotion program. A mini survey conducted by the Vietnam Economic Forum conducted on 200 foreign travelers showed that 77 percent of foreign travelers have never seen information about Vietnam’s tourism in mass media, advertisements or at tourism trade fairs. Ninety-three percent of polled tourists said they never see the advertisement pieces on BBC and CNN. Vietnam also spent money to place advertisements on 27 taxis out of 10,000 taxis in London in the UK for six months. However, local dwellers said they never see the advertisements. Vu Huy Vu, Deputy General Director of Saigon Tourist, said Vietnam needs to do many more things to popularize Vietnam’s tourism in the world. “Vietnam needs to have more and more publications introducing Vietnam’s tourism potentials. It needs to set up tourism representative offices in other countries to promote tourism,” he said, adding that other regional countries like Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines all have representative offices in Europe and the US for tens years. Meanwhile, a cheap but effective communication channel – Internet – has been ignored. Ben Chua is a Singaporean person who builds and runs vietnam720, an website that uses interactive products like videos, audios to introduce attractive destinations in Vietnam. “If you access to yoursingapore.com, you will find everything about Singapore. For example, if you type “art”, the website will show all the information about arts, from the events to places for excursions or the hotels near art centers,” he said. Ben Chua said he has an account on Twitter to listen opinions from people about Vietnam. There is a tweet posted in every 10 seconds, which means 36,000 opinions come every hour. However, no official agency has replied to the opinions. What is a new image for Vietnam? In mid January 2011, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism VNAT officially announced the result of the logo creation competition for the new period. The slogan “Vietnam – a different Orient” has won the competition. However, after two months, the slogan has not been approved to become the new slogan of Vietnam’s tourism in the new period. It seems that foreigners still see Vietnam as a war torn country, rather than an attractive destination in peacetime. It is because Vietnam is still busy looking for a new suitable slogan to be introduced to the world. “Vietnam is a friendly, joyful country, where the prices are reasonable. However, the images Vietnam introduces to the world do not reflect these things,” said Tim Russell, Managing Director of Come & Go Vietnam travel firm. He believes that since Vietnam cannot build up a reasonable tourism brand, only five percent of tourists return to Vietnam for the second time, while 50 percent of tourists come to Thailand for the second time. He went on to say that Vietnam only has been trying to attract the tourists who are interested in the culture and discoveries, while it has not been trying to attract holidaymakers. Meanwhile, tourism does not only mean discovery, but also means relaxing, sunbathing, playing golf and water sports, meals, nightlife and anything that is a part of a comfortable life. He believes that Vietnam should look for professional consultants and should carry out surveys in many places in order to build up a professional marketing strategy.

Vietnam tries to attract MICE Tourists

2011-03-01T06:58:00.000-08:00

A lot of big hotels in HCM City have been introducing their services, programs and events on their websites in order to help tour organizers consider designing MICE (meeting, incentive, convention, event) tours on demand. Tourism experts say that international tourists and businessmen nowadays not only want to attend conferences and exhibitions at hotels and convention centers, but they also want to meet experts to discuss issues in fields of common interests. Therefore, Vietnamese service providers have been trying to diversify their services to attract more clients.

Many hotels in Vietnam have been introducing special dishes on the websites, and trying to organize cooking classes for their MICE guests. If the guests want, they can even go to market to select ingredients for cooking themselves. In general, hotels assign their cooks, who are in charge of Vietnamese cuisine, to show guests how to cook Vietnamese dishes. The cooks also act as “tour guides” in the “tours to the markets”.

Cooking classes have become a regular part of the program designed for the guests at Sofitel Saigon Plaza, Rex, Caravelle and InterContinental Asiana Saigon. Discovering the taste of Vietnamese cuisine is just a part of the service package called “Insider Collection” and the sightseeing tour to HCM City offered by InterContinental Asiana Saigon.

The hotels’ Business and Marketing Director Daniel Kipping, said that convention organizing companies can access www.intercontinental.com/meetings to choose predesigned normal convention packages, or design the packages themselves according to their demand. The big hotel chain has introduced a program to be applied at the group’s hotels which includes new services which allow travelers to meet and discuss with famous persons or experts in the fields of culture or sports.

The main goal of the program is to provide tourists with deeper knowledge about Vietnam which may be helpful for them in making decisions whether to do business in Vietnam. The program was introduced at InterContinental Singapore in 2010 and InterContinental Asiana Saigon in January 2011.

Through video clips, the hotel has introduced event organizers to trips to the Notre Dame Cathedral, the HCM City’s Post Office, Le Cong Kieu antiques street, Cu Chi tunnels, or sightseeing trips in the central area with motorbike taxis – one of the most popular means of transport in the city.

Besides service packages with dinners on the cruisers running up and down the Saigon River, participants can also enjoy Vietnam’s iced milk-coffee, learning about the city’s life at 30-4 Park, tasting banh xeo (a kind of cake), purchasing silk products and pictures. Kipping said that the video clip and the information from Insider Collection should be seen as suggestions for event organizers to design suitable outdoors activities.

Caravelle Saigon has also updated its website with information and images about cultural and historical sites, targeting the travelers who seek places to relax or organize trips for businessmen and MICE tourists.

Cooperation will bring benefits Le Trung Tho, Tourism and Service Director of Thanh Thanh Cong company, said that the demand of MICE tourists has become more diversified, and that travelers nowadays always seek information online and order service packages which fit their plans and requirements.

Tho said that more and more MICE travelers wish to learn more about Vietnam through the discussions with experts. They also want to participate in bicycle trips to villages to learn about the lifestyle and traditions of local residents.

The high quality convention service packages are always ordered by foreign groups of businessmen and tourists through event organizers via mail, or ordered on the websites. Therefore, many hotels now pay more attention to developing their websites, which saves money because they can get orders directly from clients instead of via brokers.

Kipping said that clients not only demand meeting rooms with modern equipments, but also order sideline events. As one hotel cannot meet all the demands, it would be better for hotels to join forces to meet clients’ demand. Business Development Director of InterContinental Singapore David Lam has forecasted that the number of tourists, especially businessmen, will increase again after one year of decreasing due to the global economic downturn.

ATF2011 closed on January 21 for another year coming

2011-01-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

The 30th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Tourism Forum (ATF2011) concluded on Friday evening with a closer co-operation among ASEAN countries and their dialogue partners, said Cambodian Tourism Minister Dr. Thong Khon at the closing ceremony in Phnom Penh.

"Our great achievement made in the forum this year is the adoption of the ASEAN tourism strategic plan for 2011-2015 aimed to turn ASEAN into a world class tourist destination by 2015," he told to more than 400 participants.

"Besides this, I hope that buyers and sellers have met their business partners for future co-operation," he said, adding that the forum also created a closer environment of co-operation among ASEAN countries and ASEAN with their dialogue partners including China, Japan, South Korea, India and Russia.

The 30th ASEAN Tourism Forum had kicked off on January 15 at the brand-new Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra.

During the event, there had been a series of meetings of ASEAN National Tourism Organizations (NTOs), ASEAN tourism ministers + 3 (China, Japan and South Korea) and ASEAN tourism ministers plus India and Russia.

Also, there was the ASEAN Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) at Koh Pich with the participation of up to 1,000 sellers with 512 booths from hotels, airline companies, tour operators and travel agencies in ASEAN countries and some 466 buyers from ASEAN, Asia, Europe and the United States of America.

The 31st ATF will be held in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia in January 2012. ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.
By Reinhard Hohler, Media Travel Consultant

ASEAN AIMS TO BECOME WORLD CLASS TOURISM DESTINATION

2011-01-23T22:14:00.000-08:00

ASEAN Travel Forum 2011 hosted in Phnom Penh for the second time reconfirms that Southeast Asia is flying high again. Total number of arrivals to the geopolitical entity formed by ten countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) topped last year 65 million arrivals, up 12% over 2009.

The growth is impressive as large parts of the world are still into recession. But ASEAN tourist movements were stimulated by a booming Chinese and Indian economy, high growth in markets such as India, South Korea and Taiwan as well as a strong economic recovery in most ASEAN countries. Australian travelers are also predicted to grow sharply in 2011 to the region as more flights are due to take-off during the first quarter of this year with new low fares available to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Another positive sign is the emergence of new intra-ASEAN markets countries like Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam as these countries have an increasing number of middle class travelers with purchasing power. ASEAN is now expected to reach the 100 million travelers mark by the end of the decade.

The 30th ASEAN Tourism Forum opened here on 15-21 January, aimed at promoting ASEAN as the world class tourist destination by 2015 and also to promote regional cooperation in tourism. The event under the theme of "ASEAN: A World of Wonders and Diversity" was attended by about 3,000 participants, who are government's top officials, ASEAN tourism ministers, tourism delegates from China, Japan, Korea, India and Russia, diplomatic corps, exhibitors, buyers and media from around the world.

Speaking during the ASEAN TOURISM FORUM 2011 opening ceremony, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen said “I am strongly convinced that ATF 2011 is an exceptional opportunity for us not only to inform the world of Cambodia’s as well as ASEAN’s tourism products, but also to enhance and show the importance of tourism and to continue to promote this field, so as to contribute to socio-economic development, the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals and the poverty reduction in the region and the world.

"ASEAN is seen as a captivating and highly competitive tourist destination for development, based on the uniqueness of its potentials and diversity of historical cultural relics and tremendous natural resources," the Prime Minister said. "I hope that all related stakeholders in public and private sectors will jointly cooperate to develop ASEAN tourism in order to fulfill ASEAN vision as the world class tourist destination by 2015."

The Cambodian government has been paying high attention and giving its full support to the development of tourism industry, considering it as a priority among the ten priority areas for social building and poverty reduction, underlined Samdech Hun Sen.

He further highly evaluated the effective contribution of tourism in increasing regional demands and exportation, the main factors to promote macroeconomic growth, social development and poverty alleviation.

According to preliminary figures, ASEAN attracted more than 65 million visitors last year, posting a healthy 12 percent growth. Intra-ASEAN travel continued to be a major share of tourists, making up 45 percent of total international arrivals.

For its part, Cambodia received some 2.5 million foreign tourists last year, or an increase of 16 percent as compared with 2009, while the number of local tourists reached more than 7 million in 2010, or an increase of 7 percent as compared with the previous year.

The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2011)’s target is to turn ASEAN into an attractive tourism destination and increase the competitiveness of the ASEAN tourism sector in the Asia Pacific region, said Cambodian Minister of Tourism, Dr. Thong Khon, in his opening speech at the ASEAN Tourism Forum.

Dr. Thong Khon said ATF 2011 aims to attract more tourists from ASEAN member countries and promote cooperation among ASEAN’s tourism sectors. ATF 2011 will also evaluate the real situation and potential for tourism cooperation among ASEAN nations and pinpoint opportunities and challenges for the tourism sector in Southeast Asia after the global financial crisis in order to attract more international tourists to the region.

During the event from Jan. 15-18, there had been a series of meetings of ASEAN tourism ministers, ASEAN tourism ministers plus 3 (China, Japan and South Korea) and ASEAN tourism ministers plus India and Russia. And from January 19-21, the ASEAN Travel Exchange held at Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center. "It was the biggest gathering--up to 1,500 sellers with 518 booths from 434 exhibiting companies like hotels, airline companies, tour operators and travel agencies of ASEAN countries and 466 buyers from ASEAN, Asia, Europe and the United States of America occupying an exhibition area of 8430 sqm," Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon said.

International buyers with a keen interest to buy ASEAN destinations, products and services enjoyed doing so at ATF TRAVEX as the event presented the widest and most comprehensive selection of ASEAN travel choices – offered by small to large suppliers.

ATF 2011 also continued to be a widely publicized event by both trade and consumer media, with 148 media delegates from across 32 countries in attendance.

Highlights of the ASEAN TOURISM FORUM 2011

Direct Flights Between Yangon in Myanmar and Siem Reap in Cambodia Set for Takeoff

Direct flights between Cambodia and Myanmar will start next month, Minister of Tourism Thong Khon said. A twice-weekly service from Siem Reap to Yangon, to be operated by Myanmar Airways International, will start on February 23, he said after a signing ceremony during ASEAN Tourism

Direct flights were “about [creating] connectivity among ASEAN members to boost ASEAN tourism”, he said. Thong Khon and his Myanmar counterpart Soe Naing signed the agreement to officially launch the route.

The direct service brings closer two of ASEAN’s most veritable heritage sites, Bagan in Myanmar and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

The two nations began exploring direct flights in 2007, and Prime Minister Hun Sen and Myanmar Prime Minister U Thein Sein discussed the possibility of beginning direct flights at a Phnom Penh summit in November last year. Say Sokhan, civil aviation adviser to the Council of Ministers, said he welcomed the establishment of direct flights to Myanmar.

“This is the first time for both countries,” he said, expressing hopes the route would help both nations boost tourism. Cambodia received 2,614 visitors in 2010 who claimed Myanmar as their country of residence, according to Ministry of Tourism statistics.

Officials also requested that Russia and Japan begin regular direct flights to the Kingdom during the ASEAN Tourism Forum. “We are hopeful that if we have direct flights with Russia and Japan, tourists will increasingly come to our country,” said Thong Khon.

ASEAN Firs Five Year Tourism Roadmap and Regional Strategic Plan

Tourism ministers from the 10-nation ASEAN bloc endorsed a regional strategic plan for the sector during a meeting in prime minister Hun Sen's Phnom Penh office. The plan, which runs from 2011 to 2015, is intended to boost regional cooperation to ensure tourism growth within ASEAN, South Korea, China and Japan.

ASEAN’S first five-year tourism roadmap is taking off with a leaner and more integrated structure aimed at achieving the blueprint’s 86.7 million arrivals goal by 2015.

The ASEAN NTOs’ structure has been flattened to three working groups and two committees, from six taskforces and a committee previously. Many ASEAN NTOs interviewed at ATF 2011 said the previous taskforces had overlapping mandates and activities, reducing their effectiveness.

Under the new structure, the three working groups are product development headed by Malaysia, marketing and communications led by Thailand and quality led by the Philippines. Brunei is heading a budget and integration committee while Indonesia heads a tourism professional monitoring committee.

“We are convinced that, with close cooperation among the ASEAN nations and dialogue partners, we will be productive and the plan will be beneficial to all the members,” Cambodia’s Minister of Tourism Thong Khon, who chaired the meeting. As part of the strategy plan, he said, ASEAN members must strengthen tourism promotion and push development.

Mr. So Mara, Secretary of state of the Ministry of Tourism, added that the expansion and strengthening of tourism services could pave the way for better travel facilitation and connectivity in the region, “We must reaffirm our commitments for sustained ASEAN tourism cooperation. “The world has started recovering from the global economic downturn. We need to sustain ASEAN’s fame as the fastest growing tourism destination in the world.”

Mr. Tith Chantha, Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, added that the region has the “most potential” of any destination in the world, but cooperation was necessary for development.

China, Japan, S Korea Support ASEAN's Tourism Plan

China, Japan and South Korea pledged to support ASEAN's five-year tourism strategic plan, said a joint media statement during the 10th ASEAN and China, Japan and South Korea (ASEAN+3) tourism ministerial meeting. "The ministers from China, Japan and South Korea expressed their strong support for and willingness to provide assistance to ASEAN to successfully implement the ASEAN tourism strategic plan 2011-2015," read the statement.

The support was made after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) tourism ministers endorsed the strategic plan in the meeting of ASEAN tourism ministers. According to the statement, the strategic plan is to promote intra-ASEAN tourism marketing, to develop tourism products, to improve quality tourism, to build human resources development, and to attract investments for the sector.

"The three countries' support is very significant to achieve the strategic goal by 2015," Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon said.

According to the joint-statement, despite economic slowdown in 2009 and 2010, tourist arrivals of ASEAN+3 countries in 2010 remained resilient with more than 101 million arrivals, which is 14 percent growth compared to 2009. Of the figure, ASEAN countries attracted 65 million visitors, up 12 percent, with more than 10 million originating from China, Japan and South Korea.

ASEAN Travel Agents Gives Priority Towards Human Resource Development

THE FEDERATION of ASEAN Travel Association (FATA) has earmarked human resource development as one of its key priorities this year to nip the problem of staff poaching in the bud.

FATA president William Tan said: “Everyone of us (FATA members) is facing a shortage of trained staff. As a result, poaching is rampant.”

To tackle this, Tan said a request for funds had been submitted to the ASEAN Secretariat. “Once the request is approved, we will establish an online training portal that will list all available training courses that travel agencies can apply for. A committee will also be formed (to lead this initiative).”

Courses would be conducted in each ASEAN country and experienced industry practitioners would lead the lessons, said Tan.

ASEAN Countries Showing Interest Towards Russian Market

RUSSIAN outbound feed to the ASEAN region grew to 562,000 last year, from 458,000 in 2009, with Thailand receiving the bulk of Russian travelers, said Valery Korovkin, head, international department of Russia’s Federal Agency for Tourism.

After a meeting between ASEAN NTOs and Russia at ATF 2011, Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports deputy permanent secretary Thanitta Maneechote said Russian arrivals to Thailand in 2010 leapt almost 100 per cent over 2009.

“Pattaya was the hot favourite for Russian tourists, but last year saw Phuket rising in popularity too. In fact, the Russian market became Phuket’s biggest source market, overtaking Scandinavia,” Thanitta said. “Seventy per cent of Russian tourists to Thailand are repeats. Many have been to Pattaya, so they are looking at other resort destinations in Thailand.”

Singapore Tourism Board senior director, international group, Kevin Leong, said Russian arrivals to Singapore also saw growth, although this was “modest compared to what Thailand saw”. The city-state had 7.9 per cent more Russian tourists between January and November 2010, compared to the same period in 2009.

First-Ever Air Link Creates India Breakthrough for the Philippines

The Philippines effort to nab a share of the Indian market, long stymied by an absence of air connectivity, is enjoying a turnaround as Indian buyers gear up for new six-weekly flights between Delhi and Manila.

Philippine Airlines will commence thrice-weekly direct services on March 27, to be followed the next day with three weekly Delhi-Manila services via Bangkok. The carrier will deploy an Airbus A320 with a passenger capacity of 302.

Mr. Arjun from Shroff International Travel Care from Philippines said this is a very positive growth between Philippines and Indian Tourism skies. He sees the tremendous growth between the two tourism giants and potential outbound tourism in the coming years. He also added, “Indian outbound tourism is growing so huge and it’s the best of the opportunity to catch at the right time and get the best of it.”

ASEAN Plans to Boost Cruise Tourism

Cruise tourism, encompassing incentive and other MICE sectors as well as the middle to upmarket leisure market, is on the increase in ASEAN waters. More foreign-flagged ships are evident in the region, both marquee and second-tier ports are looking to enhancements and national tourist offices are determined to seize the opportunity to take things a big step further.

In conjunction with ASEAN Tourism Forum 2011, the region’s tourism ministers gave a thumbs-up to NTO discussions which cover the feasibility of increased collaboration on cruise tourism. This is likely to see more collective promotion, as well as regional consultation on improving facilities, lobbying ship operators and developing more shore-based activities, including open-jaw sectors.

The Regional tourism ministers confirmed that the ASEAN Cruise Working Group would co-locate individual country booths at several major international cruise trade shows. This strategy will kick off at Cruise Shipping Miami 2011 (March 14-17), while other key collaborative events will include Cruise Shipping Asia 2011 in November.

The ministers noted that Southeast Asia held great potential for cruise tourism, saying that the joint marketing efforts would strengthen the region’s share of mind among key decision-makers in the cruise industry. Singapore is one port to have recorded a significant increase in foreign cruise visits and is expecting to build on this in the next Asian cruise season when AIDA Cruises begins using a larger 2500 passenger vessel, ‘AIDAdiva’, in the region.

Current AIDA Cruises vessels have contributed heavily to the recent increase in regional cruise business, as have ships operated by Hapag Lloyd, P&O and Compagnie du Ponant. Among other operators active in ASEAN waters are Cunard and Silversea.

The next ATF will take place from 9 to 15 January 2012 in Manado, in the Province of North Sulawesi in Indonesia.

Mysterious Mekong-A journey through the heart of Indochina

2011-01-01T19:41:00.000-08:00

An exhibition of photographs by Reinhard Hohler will be on display at the brand-new SOFITEL PHNOM PENH PHOKEETHRA, starting on Saturday, January 15, 2011. The unique collection of photos is featuring the Mekong River, the longest river in Southeast Asia, which is more and more threatened by dam buildings and industrial development schemes.

Through his photographs, Reinhard Hohler attempts to give the visitor an in-depth perspective on the different geographical, historical and economic aspects of the Mekong River, which runs through the heart of Indo-China. The river should be protected accordingly.

The 72 photographs highlight the landscapes and scenery seen during an expedition in November 2002, which started in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan/China, passing through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, before ending in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The exhibition includes photos marking the group’s visit to the gravesite of the famous French explorer Henri Mouhot in Luang Prabang, the transfer of the group’s hovercraft around the scenic Khon Falls on the Lao-Cambodia border as well as a side trip to the ruins of Angkor. When the expedition had finally arrived in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, there was the first continuous navigation of the Mekong River successfully completed.

Reinhard Hohler, 60, is an experienced tour director and media travel consultant in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. He was born in Karlsruhe/Germany, a port on Europe’s Rhine River. After studying geology in his hometown and ethnology, geography and political science at Heidelberg University, Reinhard Hohler moved to Thailand and lives in Chiang Mai since 1987.

The venue SOFITEL PHNOM PENH PHOKEETHRA is a 12-storey colonial French style hotel and occupies 12 hectares in a prime, riverside location, near the British International School and amidst a burgeoning neighborhood of upscale villas.

The 5-star hotel is located just downstream of Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace and introduces nine new restaurants and bars to the city. Also, it houses Asia’s first, Sofitel-branded So Spa, Asia’s first purpose-built executive club, Club Millesime, and an impressive 1,800-square meter ballroom.
Its fitness club, the Phokeethra Sports Complex, features tennis courts and squash courts as well as an outdoor swimming pool, a kid’s club, and fitness equipment.

For more information, please contact Area General Manager
Mr. Didier Lamoot, Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra by phone +855 23 999 200, Fax: +855 23 999 211, Mobile: +855 12 980 011 or e-mail: DIDIER.LAMOOT@SOFITEL.COM

Mr. Reinhard Hohler at sara@cmnet.co.th

IT&CM China 2011 - Leading China's Next MICE's Wave

2010-12-15T23:57:00.000-08:00

Bringing together Chinese and International MICE Exhibitors and Buyers in one dynamic marketplace.

Since 2007, IT&CM China has established itself as China's leading professional Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) business and networking event dedicated to "Promoting China to the World and the World to China".
The quantum growth of the show over the last four years is testimony to China's appeal as the World's next MICE powerhouse - realising the possibility that the future of the MICE industry might eventually result in two distinct markets: China and the rest of the world.
IT&CM China is a spin-off from IT&CM Asia, the region's premier meetings and incentive travel show. For 18 years, IT&CM Asia has played a vital role in promoting the Asia-Pacific region as a MICE destination, as well as a source for MICE visitors.

Delivering The Best Return On Investment In Business, Learning And Play
Business
32 Business Appointments. Guaranteed.
Exhibitors are entitled to 32 appointments per 9sqm (Corporate) or 6sqm (NTO/CVB) space booked, while each buyer is awarded with 32 appointment sessions. This translates to at least 32 new sales leads for each exhibiting company or buyer. Best of all, we apply our proven match-making formula to ensure you maximise your chances of finding a suitable business partner.

MICE Exhibition
A diverse showcase featuring the best of international and Chinese MICE brands sought-after by both buyers from around the world and across China. Expect to meet representatives from destinations, hospitality, venues, entertainment, transportation, technology and more.

LearningSeminar Sessions
IT&CM China organises a total of nine seminar sessions including the opening keynote address. Topics cover a multitude of pertinent and practical MICE and general business topics that delegates can immediately apply to that workplace.

Play
Networking Functions
All delegates are invited to official events such as the Opening Ceremony & Welcome Dinner where they are treated to Chinese hospitality at its best. These networking functions are perfect to connect with the industry in a casual setting, wine, dine and simply just let loose. In addition, Buyers and Media are invited to hosted luncheons by our sponsors during the business days.
ToursPre-Show Shanghai and Post-Show "Presenting City"
Giving buyers and media the opportunity to experience the sights, sounds and delights that the host destination has to offer. Participants take away a stronger understanding and conviction that enables them to promote these destinations effectively.
For More details, Please check the event site: www.itchmchina.com

Cambodia Geared To Host An Unforgettable Event – ASEAN TOURISM FORUM (ATF) 2011

2010-12-13T20:11:00.000-08:00

This year’s ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) TRAVEX (Travel Exchange) 2011 registered an overwhelming response, with over 500 exhibition booths fully sold. All ten member-nations will be well-represented at this annual leisure travel trade event which showcases the largest contingent of ASEAN destination products and services.

While some 1,000 buyers have registered their interest to source at the event, only 400 have been selected to attend under a privileged hosting programme. Buyer profile this year includes delegates from Asia-Pacific (55 per cent), Europe (37 per cent) and the rest of the world.

A total of 1,600 delegates are expected at this year’s ATF 2011. His Excellency So Mara, Secretary of State, Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia remarked, “ASEAN is one of the few regions in the world that offers a lot of tourism value in the international market. Demand for ASEAN will continue to grow and we can see that in the increasing interest of international buyers and proliferation of ASEAN products and services at the upcoming ATF.”

ATF 2011 marks the event’s 30th anniversary. ASEAN member-nation Cambodia, will host ATF 2011 in Phnom Penh from 15 to 21 January. ATF TRAVEX, the 3-day travel trade mart component of the event will take place from 19 to 21 January at the Diamond Island Convention & Exhibition Centre. His Excellency Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism, Cambodia and Chairman of ATF 2011 Host Committee, said “This year’s theme ‘A World of Wonders and Diversity’ embodies everything that Cambodia has to offer as a compelling destination. We look forward to welcoming all ATF participants and international delegates to the Kingdom of Cambodia. We have taken great pride to create plenty of opportunities for them to discover our country’s rich cultural, natural and historical heritage.”

Business appointments and meetings which encompass the majority of delegates’ schedules over the 3-days are just some of the many highlights that ATF 2011 will offer. ASEAN Tourism Conference (ATC) – the educational front of ATF – will feature topics such as Ecotourism and Sustainable tourism in the ASEAN region as well as managing tourism in destinations which are home to Heritage Sites. Invited speakers hail from global institutions such as United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Global Sustainable Tourism Council and will engage the audience through thought-provoking sessions and interactive panel discussions on key issues in ASEAN tourism today.

ATF 2011 is also poised as an event with bountiful networking opportunities, teeing off with the ever-popular game of golf at the Royal Cambodia Phnom Penh Golf Course.

Hosted by The Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia, the ATF 2011 Opening Ceremony is set to be a spectacular event featuring some 500 local and foreign performers in traditional and contemporary performances. The Ministry is also pulling out all stops to ensure a feast for the senses with a strong play on the latest pyrotechnics and sound effects technology. Delegates can also look forward to a stunning 30 minutes fireworks highlight.

Over the 3 days, delegates can wine, dine and enjoy the company of their peers at several hosted luncheons, dinners as well as at 3 late night functions at Nagaworld, Raffles Hotel Le Royal and Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra.

Pre-show city tours of Phnom Penh and post-show tours to popular Cambodian destinations such as Siem Reap, Preah Sihanouk and Koh Kong are also available to hosted buyers and media delegates.

About ATF 2011

ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region as one tourist destination. ATF TRAVEX is the longest-running annual ASEAN leisure travel trade event, showcasing the largest contingent of ASEAN sellers. This annual event involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 ASEAN member nations: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Each year, the hosting of ATF is rotated among the member countries. Cambodia will host ATF 2011 and is all geared up to welcome over 1,600 delegates which includes 400 international buyers and 100 international media. ATF 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of this event since its inauguration in Malaysia in 1981.

Quick Facts:
2011 ATF Dates:15 to 21 January 2011
Venue: Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Centre, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
For more information, please check the website www.atfcambodia.com

India Gives Visa-On-Arrival to Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Philippines

2010-12-03T23:26:00.000-08:00

The Indian government’s year-long experiment with visa-on-arrival (VOA) facilities has been extended and expanded for 2011. Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines have been added to the list that already includes Japan, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore.

Nationals from the four additional countries will be eligible for VOA to India from January 1. From January to September this year, India issued 4,493 VOAs, with Singaporean nationals topping the tally. Shroff International Travel Care Philippines managing director Arjun Shroff believed the VOA for Filipinos might make travel to India more convenient but would not necessarily open the floodgates. “The real traffic booster would be Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) nonstop Manila-Delhi flights from March. These cut travel time down from 13 hours with several connections to just six hours. They can open up the weekend market from the Philippines. In this respect, the VOA comes in handy,” said Shroff. PAL will start servicing the Manila-Delhi sector from March 27 next year with six flights a week. Three of the flights will be nonstop between the two capital cities while the other three will be coursed via Bangkok. Then again, hidden in the fineprint of India’s VOA facility are a number of restrictions. Eligible tourists can only avail of the VOA two times in a year and are still subject to the ruling on a two-month gap between tourist visits. V K Singh, first secretary of the Indian High Commission in Singapore, explained that tourists could re-enter India once or twice within two months if they engaged in “neighbourhood tourism”, which he defined as “using India as a hub to visit one or two countries in the area”. He, however, declined to specify what destinations constituted a “neighbouring country”, saying the matter would be determined on a case-to-case basis.

On the other side Mr. Ho Vandy, Co Chair of the Cambodia Tourism Working group and Managing Director of World Express Travel & Tours appreciated the move and said that this will definately boost the tourism between India and Cambodia and ease of travel to Buddhist Tourism in India. Mr. Ang Kim Eang, President of Cambodia Association of Travel Agents ( CATA ) and Managing Director of Great Angkor Tours also shared the appreciation remarks towards the strong tourism tie ups and expressed that this will help him to promote the Buddhist Tourism in India for his clients and customers.

To boost ASEAN INDIA tourism, Asean would also establish a promotional chapter for tourism in Mumbai. India would be hosting the commemorative India-Asean summit in India 2012

Visa-Free Arrangement Signed by Thailand and Cambodia

2010-12-03T23:03:00.000-08:00

The visa-free arrangement signed by Thailand and Cambodia in October is expected to thaw previously frosty ties between the neighbours and boost cross-border traffic. From mid-December, Cambodian passport holders will be given 14-day visa-free stays in Thailand and vice versa. Currently, Cambodian and Thai nationals have to obtain visas from the respective embassy or consulate. Thai nationals though can get a US$20 visa-on-arrival for 30 days at Cambodia’s international checkpoints. Angkor T K Travel and Tours managing director Chaiyapruk Phumimuang said Thailand had been back on Cambodians’ radar in recent months. “We are overwhelmed with bookings from Thailand for the Thai Father’s Day long weekend (December 4 to 6). Siem Reap could run out of Thai-speaking guides if the current pace of booking continues.”Tui Ruteen, First Travel Cambodia’s managing director, said the pact would reestablish Thailand as a medical tourism destination for Cambodians who had shifted to visa-free countries such as Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia for medical treatments. Arrival numbers between the two countries fell by an average of nine per cent this year.

Shanghai World Expo 2010 - Largest Ever World Fair

2010-12-03T22:50:00.000-08:00

Event leaves Shanghai with new MICE and leisure facilities, infrastructure upgrades.

1 How will the Shanghai World Expo 2010 be remembered? As the largest-ever world fair. More than 200 countries and organisations created architecturally-diverse pavilions to showcase their culture, arts, technology and commerce to a primarily Chinese audience.
Organisers targeted 70 million visitors between May 1 and October 31 and, in the end, 73.1 million came, a new world record for the World Expo.
The Belgian pavilion reported an average of 40,000 visitors per day during the expo, while the Expo Performance Centre, which will be rebranded as the Mercedes Benz Arena after the expo, handled “more than 1.1 million performance tickets in the first five months of the expo,” said Giulia Zhu, spokesperson of AEG-OPG Culture and Sports Ltd., which manages the venue.
2 Who came? Who participated? Meeting the 70 million visitors target required unprecedented public support from within China, and key visits from foreign statesmen and celebrities helped boost interest.
“The World Expo brought a great deal of state visits and foreign delegations as well as domestic tourists to Shanghai. We had VIP visits by (California governor) Arnold Schwarzenegger, Princess Mashael Bint Mohammed (of Saudi Arabia), President (Nicolas) Sarkozy of France, Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson of Iceland,” said Gottfried Bogensperger, general manager of Hyatt on the Bund.
Also in attendance were Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and India’s Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Jyotiraditya Scindia, who headed a trade delegation of more than 70 companies.
Other notable inclusions during the expo included Copenhagen’s famous Little Mermaid statue, master artworks by Van Gogh, Gauguin and Cezanne, and celebrities.
3 What is the constructive legacy for the city? Shanghai now has two enlarged and upgraded international airports, a cruise port, new luxury hotels and a 13-line metro network.
Some Expo pavilions will be refurbished as meetings, convention and entertainment venues, and the Bund was re-landscaped to remove much of the traffic and enlarge the riverside boardwalk and public spaces.
The city’s pre-expo construction boom is set to continue. Shanghai Disneyland should break ground before year-end in Pudong, while China’s tallest building, the 121-storey Shanghai Tower, is under construction in the Lujiazui financial district.
New, super high-speed train routes are being rolled out, with a 38-minute Shanghai-Hangzhou service launched in October, and the 350kph Shanghai-Beijing service, which would take four hours to travel end to end, scheduled for a 2012 launch.
4 What are the city’s post-Expo objectives? Shanghai plans to utilise the multi-billion-dollar pre-expo investment in conventions, transport and entertainment infrastructure to diversify its MICE economy.
“The expo has given us opportunities to undertake more MICE business, and we’re going to be involved in more international hosting bids,” said Patrick Chen, deputy director of international tourism promotion for the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration.
Upcoming events include the International Council of Museums Triennial Conference in November, FINA Swimming World Championships in 2012, and the International Congress and Convention Association Annual Meeting in 2013.
5 How will Shanghai balance corporate and leisure travel? Underlying demand for business travel to Shanghai is predicted to remain strong, but the city’s hyperactive hotel pipeline is a major challenge.
“Compared with a yearly average increase of five per cent of visitors to Shanghai, the 20 per cent yearly increase of new hotels and meeting facilities is way too much as there will be no event as big as the expo in the next decade,” Chen said.
“We’re going to further cooperate with the Fédération Internationale des Journalistes et Ecrivains du Tourisme.
“Shanghai held the 51st FIJET Congress in 2009 and will...invite more tourism journalists and publications to Shanghai and promote the city as a leisure destination.”

By Gary Bowerman

ATF 2011 Phnom Penh exceeds already all of our forecasts in terms of success

2010-10-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

Interview with Mr. SO MARA, State Secretary, Cambodia Ministry of Tourism

Cambodia will play host to the ASEAN Travel Forum next January for the second time in its history. Phnom Penh is getting ready to provide a memorable welcome to all delegates as explained by His Excellency So Mara, Secretary of State, Cambodia Ministry of Tourism.

How does the preparation of the ASEAN Travel Forum (ATF) look?

I am very pleased to say that we can already see all the signs of success even before we started to send the invitation to hosted buyers and media. We first thought that we would get 350 sellers. We then planned to have 400 sellers, but now we already received more than 480 requests. We have now to find solutions to accommodate all the requests and look at ways to expand the exhibition area to welcome more sellers. We are now in discussion with the Organizing Committee, as well as with the owners of Diamond Island Convention & Exhibition Center, ATF['s] main venue for the mart. For the buyers and media, we expect to host 400 buyers and 100 media. And we already received over 860 registrations. We might increase now the total number of hosted buyers with the deadline for final approval being set up for the first week of November.

What will the Ministry in Phnom Penh do to welcome ATF delegates?

We want to give a lasting memory to delegates about Cambodia’s traditional sense of welcome. We already blocked 1,500 rooms in Phnom Penh for the event with new prestigious venues including the brand new Sofitel Phnom Penh or Diamond Island Convention & Exhibition Center. All official meetings with ASEAN Ministers of tourism + 5 [China, India, Korea, Japan, and Russia] as well as with the tourism representatives from Saudi Arabia and UAE, will be hosted in the brand new Council of Ministers building, which is equipped with the latest high-tech facilities. This will be the first time that such meetings will take place in an official government’s building. Among the highlights, all ministers will receive a courtesy call from our Prime Minister and be granted an audience with our King. For all delegates, we prepare a lot of surprises, including the presence of world-famous VIPs and stars.

What do you expect from the ATF in terms of image benefits?

We first expect to show that Cambodia is fully back on the world tourism stage and that it is a must-see destination along [with] all other ASEAN countries. ATF gives us the opportunity to show that Cambodia is today at peace and a safe destination, thanks to strong political stability under the current government. We hope also to highlight that Cambodia offers a great diversity of holiday opportunities. Beyond the iconic temples of Angkor, which remains our country’s “signature,” the Kingdom of Cambodia is also a premier destination for beach tourism or eco-tourism.

How far has Cambodia tourism come this year?

We are likely to reach a new record in tourist arrivals. In 2009, we recorded a moderate growth of 1.7 percent to 2.16 million travelers. Until August of this year, total arrivals are up by 14.6 percent. We now forecast 2.42 million travelers for 2010 and estimate that tourist arrivals should reach 2.75 million in 2011. A very positive trend is Siem Reap. After two years of stagnation, international arrivals at Siem Reap airport were up by almost 17 percent from January to August 2010.

Do you try to diversify Cambodia's image by promoting new destinations?

Our three main destinations for visitors are Siem Reap/Angkor temples, Phnom Penh, and Sihanoukville in the south. However, we want to create a new icon along our coastal area as we believe that we have some of the best pristine beaches in Southeast Asia. We indeed look to qualify one of our beaches as one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. We want also to put more emphasis on eco-tourism, especially in the northeastern provinces of our country where rare animals and endangered flora species can still be discovered and observed. There are also other secondary destinations we want to push up such as Kep/Kampot as a beach resort destination or Preah Vihar temple for cultural tourism. We just completed a road to the temple, making it an easy destination, only two hours away from Siem Reap.
Source: etn

New Air France Service Phnom Penh - Paris Starting 27th March 2011

2010-10-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

Air France is pleased to inform that the French flag carrier will begin operating a new service between Phnom Penh and Paris-Charles de Gaulle.

Starting 27th March 2011, the three weekly flights between Phnom Penh and Paris will be operated via Bangkok by Airbus A340-300 equipped with 275 seats and three classes (30 seats in Business Class, 21 in Premium Voyageur, and 224 in Voyageur-Economy), and subsequently by Boeing 777-200 equipped with 309 seats.

Flight schedules between Phnom Penh and Paris have been designed to offer convenient connections via Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport to/from other cities worldwide:

Phnom Penh – Paris (in local time):
Flight number AF273, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays
Departing at 20.15, arriving in Bangkok at 21.30
Departing to Paris on same day at 22.55, arriving at 06.10 the following day
Paris – Phnom Penh (in local time):
Flight number AF274, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
Departing at 19.30, arriving in Bangkok at 11.50 the following day
Departing to Phnom Penh on same day at 13.20, arriving at 14.35

Customers can start booking and buy this new service from now on.

Air France KLM General Manager for Mekong, Mr Luc Delaplace outlines:
“By resuming flights between Phnom Penh and Paris, Air France not only demonstrates its confidence in the economic potential of Cambodia, but also its determination to further develop strong regional presence in Mekong, like in Thailand and Vietnam.

Thus, Air France becomes the only network carrier operating between Cambodia and Europe.”

Media Contacts:
Regional: Mrs Nahathai Pungtongdee
Napungtongdee@airfrance.fr
+66 (0)2 680 9692

AF Head Office: AF Communication Department
corporate.airfrance.com
+33(0)1 41 56 56 00

International tourist numbers to Indonesia are growing

2010-10-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago with a population of over 230 people. Its natural beauty and cultural wealth spread within its 17,508 islands hold limitless appeal and is a heaven for international tourists. Looking at results for the first seven months of 2010, remarkable growth rates were achieved in markets such as Australia, Middle East and China, but Indonesia’s biggest incoming markets remain Singapore and Malaysia. Altogether, the country is looking to get some seven million international tourists this year.

During the official press conference at IT&CMA 2010 event in Bangkok on October 6, Mr. Sapta Nirwandar, Director General for Marketing, Ministry of Culture & Tourism, revealed that there is a Visit Year fever not ready to recede over the coming years. Thus, not only the island of Batam has launched its Visit Year 2010, but also the island group of Bangka Belitung. On Borneo Island, both provinces of South Kalimantan and West Kalimantan are organizing a Visit Year to attract more travelers. Already in planning for 2011 are a Visit Central Java and Visit Year of Makassar in South Sulawesi followed by a Visit Year of Lombok-Sumbawa in 2012.

Interesting to note is that the Ministry of Culture & Tourism has turned 2010 into a Visit Museum Year by hoping to make these places of knowledge and culture more attractive to international tourists. Certainly, one of the most interesting museums in Indonesia is the National Museum in Jakarta with its outstanding art collection.

Other important museums in Jakarta are located around Fatahillah Square such as the Museum of History, the Wayang Puppets Museum or the Maritime Museum. Also, there is the Komodo Museum located at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Indonesia’s cultural theme park near the capital.

Across the islands, other interesting museums not to be missed are Le Mayeur Museum in Ubud and the National Museum in Denpasar in Bali, the Batik Museum in Yogjakarta, Botanical Museum in Bogor Botanical Garden, as well as the Peranakan Museum in Medan on Sumatra Island. The Fort Rotterdam Museum in Makassar on Sulawesi Island owns a priceless collection of porcelain ware.

For further information, please go to: www.museum.indonesia.net

The annual Tourism Indonesia Mart & Expo (TIME) was successfully held in Lombok on October 12-15, 2010 and offered delegates Indonesia under one roof.

The event featured most of Indonesia’s tourist attractions and is the best and most effective means for buyers from all over the world to experience and understand the ultimate diversity of Indonesia, which is home to some 480 ethnic groups that live harmoniously together. Next year, TIME will be in Manado, North Sulawesi.

To maximize its huge tourism potential, Indonesia has continuously upgraded the tourist, transportation and telecommunication infrastructures and facilities. Especially in all MICE destinations, meeting and exhibition venues as well as accommodation facilities and services rank as one of the best in the world. These MICE destinations offer maximum prime space, latest technology and manpower support. With the setting up of the government body of an ambitious MICE Directorate in 2007, meetings and incentives players worldwide can also look forward to a government that is pro-active in supporting MICE events. The top 10 MICE destinations are:

1. Jakarta: The dynamic capital has a total of 920,327 square meters of meeting and exhibition space, huge shopping malls, 32,552 hotel rooms and 2,011 restaurants. The city has a population of 9 million people and is well known for its historical places, cultural heritage, and vibrant nightlife.
2. Bali: The magical island is one of the most exotic and diverse destinations in the world with an impressive range of international standard meeting facilities. Bali has 53,000 hotel rooms and a variation of conference venues, such as in Nusa Dua, Kuta or Sanur.
3. Yogjakarta: As a city of tradition and culture, Yogjakarta is re-known for its traditional and modern arts. Today, the friendliness of the people and its brilliant cultural and natural attractions, just to name the Sultan’s palace, Buddhist and Hindu monuments, create an inspiring environment for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions.
4. Surakarta (better known as Solo): The place is home of many classic sites and is located close to the famous Prambanan temples. Mountain volcanoes decorate the city panorama and tourists can enjoy some colorful festivals all year round.
5. Surabaya: The industrial city has all the MICE facilities needed plus an extra Javanese touch. All top hotels can handle big events and have experienced multi-skilled and multi-lingual staff to ensure everything runs well.
6. Medan: Considering its importance as an administrative and financial center in the north of Sumatra, not to mention the nearby scenic Lake Toba, Medan equips itself with modern convention facilities, infrastructure and international standard accommodation in a bid to attract MICE visitors.
7. Padang & Bukittingi: West Sumatra is one of the most beautiful areas of Indonesia. Due to its scenic wealth and rich cultural heritage and a combination of idyllic surroundings and growing facilities and infrastructure, Padang & Bukittingi are becoming the perfect locations for both leisure and business trips as well as an attractive MICE destination.
8. Batam: Given its strategic location near to Singapore and rich natural beauty, the island is also transforming itself into as sophisticated recreation ground for international tourists. Batam now turns its attention to improving its infrastructure, convention facilities and supporting services to become Indonesia’s next attractive MICE destination.
9. Makassar: As an important and busy port town in South Sulawesi, Makassar is well versed with the art of welcoming visitors. Moreover, enjoying rapid physical developments in terms of infrastructure and facilities, Makassar is now more than ready to take on the role as a MICE destination and has a lot to offer to international tourists.
10. Manado: As the provincial capital of North Sulawesi, Manado is a bustling picture-perfect seaside city with its glimpses of emerald hills and the azure blue ocean. With a new international standard convention facility built in 2009, Manado will become very quickly the new MICE destination in Indonesia.
By Media Travel Consultant, Reinhard Hohler

Redefining M.I.C.E. in Asia - IT&CMA 2010

2010-10-10T00:24:00.000-07:00

IT&CMA and CTW 2010 Delivers Quality Buyers, Travel Managers and a Wider Selection of MICE Sellers

Under the theme "Redefining M.I.C.E. (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions) the 18th Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia (IT&CMA) and the 13th Corporate Travel World (CTW) Asia Pacific has been successfully held again at the Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld, Thailand during October 5-7, 2010.

Some 483 buyers from 54 countries met 780 exhibitors at the show, which was useful to showcase the important potential of a booming MICE market in Thailand and beyond. Altogether, there were 2340 registered delegates at the annual event proving to the world that you still can believe in Thailand in the wake of sometime of political upheavals.

The double-bill got the greatest co-operation and support from TTG Asia Media from Singapore and Thai Airways International (TG), which celebrates its 50th year’s anniversary of its founding as the national airline of the Kingdom of Thailand this year.

It was up to Mr. Akapol Sorasuchart, President, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, to introduce the flagship organization of TCEB with its new logo of "Believe in Thailand." In 2010 alone, some 628,653 foreign visitors are expected to come to Thailand for MICE events, which equals to more than 400 conventions and exhibitions been hold and these will generate an estimated 45,560 million baht income for the country.

There were seven officials hotels and ten supporting hotels such as the Centara Grand, Intercontinental, Grand Hyatt Erawan and the Ambassador Hotel in Bangkok among others to host some 142 international media delegates from 35 countries.

Also, the opening ceremony called "Thailand...The Living Art Gallery" was hosted by TCEB at the centrally located Plaza Athenee Bangkok Hotel. Two late night functions were held in the Conrad Bangkok and the Shangri-La Hotel. Outstanding was the hosted networking dinner by the Seoul Tourism Organization "Seoul on the Move: Sound & Flavor" on October 6 in the evening at the World Ballroom of the Centara Grand Hotel.

Pre-show activities on October 4 were offered to the delegates, who explored Bangkok on an afternoon half-day tour by having an option to cycle around Bangkok, visiting the famous flower market, the Dusit Zoo, or enjoying Wat Po together with the nearby traditional Medical and Massage School.

Well attended media briefings were given by the Airports of Thailand (AOT), Egypt Tourism Office, TCEB, and the newly established Asian Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus (AACVB), comprising the China National Tourist Office, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Korea Tourism Organization, Macau Government Tourist Office, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation and Singapore Tourism Board. Other media briefings were held by the National Business Travel Association (NBTA) and Indonesia Tourism Board.

Visiting the exhibition hall, I came across the following new travel products worth keeping in mind for the future (in alphabetical order):

- Arosa Travel Service, Bangkok, Thailand
- Bintan Lagoon Resort, Singapore
- Dusit Thani Hotel, Manila, Philippines
- Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, Thailand
- Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, Bali, Indonesia
- Phuket Jet Tour, Phuket, Thailand
- Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16, Macau, China
- Sri Lankan Airlines, Bangkok Office, Thailand
- Sutera Harbour Resort & Spa, Sabah, Malaysia
- The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Brunei

The last day of the show saw the 9th Sticky Awards Lunch and the TTG Travel Awards in the evening, which was by invitation only. Post-tours for the delegates were offered to Hua Hin, Kanchanaburi and Chiang Rai.
By: Reinhard Hohler, Media Travel Consultant

Open skies: Cambodia-India Air Link Considered

2010-09-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

India has urged Cambodia to open direct flights between the two countries in a bid to boost tourism.

“One of the best catalysts to promote tourist traffic between the two countries would be the establishment of a direct air link between India and Cambodia,” Indian President Paratibha Devisingh Patil said at an India-Cambodia business meeting last week. “This would open possibilities of attractive tour packages and also significantly reduce travel time.”

The proposal is now being considered by Cambodian officials.

Deputy Director of the Cabinet of the Secretariat of State of Civil Aviation, Long Chheng, welcomed the initiative, citing the potential for increased bonds between the two countries and economic benefits. Director General of Tourism Ministry Tith Chan Tha, expected that the two countries would take part in further discussions on the issue.

A Tourism Ministry report showed that the number of Indian tourists visiting Cambodia rose about 4 percent in the first half of the year, to a modest 6,238 from 6,000 in the same period of 2009.

Mohan Gunti, Advisor for Cambodia’s Association of Travel Agents (CATA), said that there is potential for expansion because of the Kingdom’s rich Heritage.

Indian President Pratibha Patil was on a 6 day state visit to Cambodia, on which she was accompanied by a 45-member business delegation with representatives from the CII, ASSOCHAM and FICCI.

FILM TOURISM: Films are indeed a fantastic vehicle to promote a Destination

2010-09-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

Bollywood & Destination Tourism
The past 50 years have stood as a solid proof of the fact that Bollywood has always had a large influence on the Indian traveller’s choice of destination. Within Rajasthan, a few Hollywood and Bollywood films are known to have been set here because of its heritage offerings. Apart from the palaces, temples, museums, forts and havelis, the forests of Ranthambore, Bharatpur, Ramgarh and the Desert National Park in Jaisalmer have also been popular. The blend of hills, lakes and desert make Rajasthan a paradise for film makers. To fully capitalise on this form of tourism, the state needs to develop state-of-the-art studios and film training institutes.

For shoots in Rajasthan, films are now exempt from entertainment tax, to the extent of 50 per cent for a period of one year subject to the condition that the film does not have anything which is against communal harmony and national integration, and that the film doesn't have any objectionable scenes in it. The producer of the film is required to submit, in advance, copies of the shooting schedule to the director, art and culture and the deputy secretary, finance (tax) Department, Government of Rajasthan. Also, the minimum 50 per cent of the film time of the needs to be shot in the state of Rajasthan and be verified by a committee comprising the director, art and culture, the director, public relations and the deputy secretary, finance (tax) department.

Within the country, before major shoots began to happen on foreign shores, Patnitop in Kashmir had become a major honeymooner's resort due to the love songs picturised in the cinema of the sixties and seventies and remained so till the terror of early 90s bared its fangs. People from all over India used to throng to Mumbai and head to Marine Drive and Chowpatty which symbolised Mumbai in films. Internationally too, Switzerland’s exposure in Indian films made it the hottest destination for Indian tourists for almost 40 years, one could even have Indian meals with a menu in Indian languages. Kaho Na Pyaar Hai made in 2000, became a hit and the NZ Tourism saw an unprecedented wave of Indian tourists making them expand their immigration counter area from 500 square feet to 5,000 square feet. In India, the most sought after locations remain Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala. Though India has the most varied of natural locations, forts, and palaces, the logistics in some locations are not film friendly.

Films are indeed a fantastic vehicle to promote a destination. One, they are free advertising for the destination; two, they are not accompanied by the hard-sell factor of official media campaigns; three, they reach a wide target audience and four, they address deep, intrinsic feelings and connect them with a real place. In terms of promotion value, for around 40 per cent of potential international visitors to the UK, the destination image is influenced by films. In terms of visitation, there has been an increase of around four to six per cent of film-induced visitors who actually visit specific film locations in the UK. Film tourism is still neglected by many destination marketers despite the fact that media-induced tourism is a growing trend.

Bollywood, as it has come to be revered as, has been going places, quite literally. And in its wake, apart from generating eyeballs, the footfalls in the respective countries that the films have been shot at have multiplied over time. Their success can undoubtedly be attributed to the swelling fan following both from domestic audiences and from NRI pockets.

Film tourism is about to establish itself as a powerful destination marketing tool on one hand and as a niche tourism product on the other hand (e.g. film location products). Regions that have already recognised the power of films for tourism and have encashed on it are Great Britain, Australia (the film Australia), New Zealand (Lord of the Rings and others), regions in the US, Tyrol in Austria, the city of Salzburg (The Sound of Music) and Scotland (Braveheart, Rob Roy, etc). Regions that should start looking into film tourism are the Scandinavian countries, Germany and France.

The growing tourism destinations like Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, Myanmar & Indonesia in ASEAN region can benefit too from Bollywood Tourism.

Kingdom of Cambodia to Host ASEAN TOURISM FORUM (ATF 2011)

2010-09-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

The Kingdom of Cambodia will host the upcoming 30th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2011) to be held at the newly-built Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center in the capital Phnom Penh from January 15-21, 2011. The theme of ATF 2011 is 'ASEAN – A World of Wonders and Diversity'. Quoting a message from Dr Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism, the Kingdom of Cambodia and the chairman of ATF 2011 Host Committee, Pan Chantra, Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Tourism, the Kingdom of Cambodia told, "ATF 2011 will offer a golden opportunity for all participants to discuss the development regional and individual tourism products of ASEAN member countries. It is also a cooperative regional effort to promote ASEAN, a world of wonders and diversity, as a single tourism destination. ATF 2011 will be a great platform for both sellers and buyers to meet and exchange business through Seller-Meet-Buyer (SMB) and Buyer-Meet-Seller (BMS) sessions." ATF is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region as one tourist destination. This annual event involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 member nations of ASEAN, namely, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Mr. Pan Chantra said that though the main objective of ATF 2011 is to attract more tourists to ASEAN member countries and promote intra-ASEAN travel, but several Indian tour operators and travel agents are likely to attend the SMB and BMS sessions as more and more Indian tourists are visiting these ASEAN nations. Chantra was in Kolkata recently to attend a travel and tourism exposition, as head of a delegation from the Ministry of Tourism, the Kingdom of Cambodia. He said that there is huge interest among the Indian tourists about the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
source: Indian Express - expresstravelworld

Indian President Pitches for Cooperation in India-Cambodia Tourism Sector

2010-09-15T23:31:00.000-07:00

Indian President Pratibha Patil today said there was tremendous potential for both India and Cambodia in the tourism sector and emphasised on the need for a direct air link between the two countries.

“For Indians, South Asia is an important travel destination. In this context, I would like to mention that India-Cambodia tourism trade has tremendous potential for expansion”.

"I am also told that a large number of Cambodian tourists travel to India for pilgrimage purposes....One of the best catalysts to promote tourist traffic between the two countries would be the establishment of a direct air link between India and Cambodia," Patil said at the India-Cambodia Business Forum meeting here.

She said that this would open possibilities of attractive tour packages and also significantly reduce travel time.

Patil said the two countries could collaborate with each other, especially in the field of mining, oil and gas, hydropower, infrastructure, tourism among others.

Agriculture can be another area of mutual growth, she added.

The Indian president said Information Technology and IT enabled services could be worth exploring.

"I am glad that an Indian bank - Bank of India - is now cooperating in Cambodia. This will help facilitate business between the two countries," she said.

She appreciated the fact that bilateral trade between the two countries had reached approximately USD 50 million with pharmaceuticals being the dominating item of India''s export basket.

ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2011 TRAVEX Promises To Be A Sell-Out Event

2010-09-06T02:19:00.000-07:00

ATF 2011 TRAVEX recorded strong interest and rapid take-up rate early in its registration process. To date, exhibitors have snapped up more booths than initially expected. This 2011 ASEAN leisure travel trade event showcasing the largest contingent of ASEAN destination products and services will also feature a larger show with 25% more booths space than last year.

More than 70% of the 450 available booth space has already been secured by some 240 exhibiting companies from across the 10 ASEAN countries - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Buyer registrations have also been overwhelming with more than 600 applications received from across the world. Only 400 of the best buyers will be selected to attend the event under a privileged hosting programme.

With regards to the buoyant interest for ATF 2011, Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism, Cambodia and Permanent Vice-Chairman of ATF 2011 Organizing Committee explains, “Improving market optimism aside, a significant part of this year’s interest also has to do with the appeal of Cambodia as a destination. International delegates are motivated to experience the country’s rich cultural, natural and historical heritage.”

Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia believes that the country will be represented at the event in a big way this 2011. More than 800 participants from across Cambodia’s tourism industry gathered for the ATF 2011 event preview at Nagaworld in Phnom Penh on 31 August 2010. The purpose of the preview was to promote, increase awareness and encourage all Cambodian tourism stakeholders to participate at the upcoming ATF 2011. The event preview was presided by His Excellency Dr. Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister in Charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers and Chairman of ATF 2011 Organizing Committee. The guest list included the country’s movers and shakers such as top government officials from the various ministries and heads of foreign missions. A large number of hotel owners and general managers were also present.

Host country, Kingdom of Cambodia, began its marketing efforts to tantalise the industry’s travel professionals at the last ATF 2010 closing ceremony by pulling out all stops to deliver a sumptuous and entertaining evening complete with a gastronomic and cultural showcase. Delegates enjoyed a sneak preview of what they can look forward to at ATF 2011 in Phnom Penh.

Scheduled from 19 to 21 January 2011, the three-day ATF 2011 TRAVEX will be held at Phnom Penh’s Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center located along the Bassac River. Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia will host the event’s Opening and Closing Ceremony, which promises to be even more spectacular than its 2010 preview. Delegates will also be thrilled to network in the company of their fellow industry colleagues and wind down at the end of a business work day at not two but three late night social events organised by Nagaworld, Fairmont/Raffles/Swissotel/TTG Asia and Pattaya City/Sofitel/TTG Asia respectively.

More information on the event’s programme will be made available in the upcoming months. Registrations for exhibitors, buyers and media are still open online at http://www.atfcambodia.com/ More information on ATF 2011 can also be found at the event website.

About ATF 2011
ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region as one tourist destination. ATF TRAVEX is the longest-running annual ASEAN leisure travel trade event, showcasing the largest contingent of ASEAN sellers. This annual event involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 ASEAN member nations: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Each year, the hosting of ATF is rotated among the member countries. Cambodia will host ATF 2011 and is all geared up to welcome over 1,600 delegates which includes 400 international buyers and 100 international media. ATF 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of this event since its inauguration in Malaysia in 1981.

2011 TRAVEX Dates: 19 to 21 January 2011
Venue: Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Media Contact
Cheryl Tan [ cheryl.tan@ttgasia.com ]
TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd
Organiser Website: www.ttgasiamedia.com

Cambodia Well Prepared for ASEAN TOURISM FORUM (ATF) 2011

2010-08-31T22:45:00.000-07:00

In a way to get well-prepared for the upcoming Cambodia 30th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2011), the Cambodian government and other key stakeholders met on August 31st, 2010 at Naga World, Phnom Penh, in the country's capital to discuss things to be done by then.

Deputy Prime Minister and the Chairman of ATF 2011 Inter- Ministerial Organizing Committee Sok An presided over the official launching of ATF 2011 and new websites of the Ministry of Tourism, www.tourismcambodia.org.

Excellency Sok An said that the 2011 ATF is a great event for the ASEAN, ASEAN+3 (India, Australia and Russia) and other partners to have more exchange and help to promote the development of tourism industry.

He said the theme of the 30th ATF is "ASEAN - A World of Wonders and Diversity", which reflects ASEAN's rich regional culture, abundant natural resources and high quality services in the tourism industry.

Sok An pointed out that the 30th ATF 2011 will also help Cambodia to promote its tourism industry.

Excellency Dr. Thong Khon, minister of tourism said at the forum that as planned the 30th ATF 2011 will be held at the newly built Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia from January 15 to 21, 2011.

He said alongside with the ATF 2011, there will be travel exchange (TRAVEX) which will give the venue for the ASEAN's package toursellers and potential buyers from the region and the world, and friendship golf tournament for ASEAN Tourism Ministers and senior officials, organized and sponsored by international television network (CNN).

Dr. Thong Khon said "Cambodia is proud to host ATF for the second time, which proves the development in all sectors in Cambodia, particularly infrastructure development, potential cultural and historical tourism, and abundant natural resources, together with the nature smiles of Cambodian people, deserved to be recognized as Cambodia-Kingdom of Wonder".

Cambodia first hosted ATF in 2003.
Dr. Thong Khon said during the ATF 2011, there will be a platform for TRAVEX exhibition consisting 420 stands. Currently, 302 stands have been booked by domestic and international companies (sellers) and there are 477 buyers from the region and the world.

He added that"ATF will be the greatest opportunities for both buyers and sellers to enhance business communication, operation and networking in a closely and friendly manner."

Over 1,600 delegates which include 400 international buyers and 100 international media are expected to take part and cover the event.

The statistics provided by Ministry of Tourism showed that in seven months of 2010, there were 1,423,505 foreign tourists visited the country. The number showed a significant increase of 13.85 percent compared to the same period in 2009.

Meanwhile, Dr. Thong Khan said that preliminary estimate predicts that Cambodia will receive around 2.4 million tourist arrivals in 2010. an increase of approximately 12 percent.

For more information about ATF Cambodia 2011, pls check http://www.atfcambodia.com/

Only 30 days to go....ITE HCMC 2010 – The Largest Travel Event in Vietnam

2010-08-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

The Mekong trio of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos both jointly as well as individually are planning and embarking on dynamic strategies and solutions, to develop and promote tourism growth. With the ambitious Tourism Master Plans, policies and vision backed by robust investment initiatives in infrastructure and facilities, tourism development and growth in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam is entering a new era.

International Travel Expo at Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC 2010) provides you the platform to exchange growing business for inbound and outbound travel opportunities in Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam.

ITE HCMC an annual show since 2005, is Vietnam’s largest travel event serving one of the key travel and tourism market in the region. It is the only travel trade platform that offers an opportunity for tourism businesses in ASEAN countries to meet selected buyers from around the world. In addition to suppliers of diverse travel products in the three countries ITE HCMC also brings regional tourism operators and NTO’s to promote out bound travel in the growing Vietnam market.’

It is also an ideal platform for international buyers to gather the latest information on tourism offerings, establish new business contacts and learn about the latest ASEAN tourism trends and developments when Vietnam will be the Chairman of ASEAN. Specially, this is a common promotional channel for Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam – 3 Countries One Destination (3CODe) to promote itself.

A visit to ITE HCMC also offers all participants a golden opportunity to uncover the hidden charms within Vietnam as well as the opportunity to visit Cambodia and Laos through pre and post tour arrangements. ITE HCMC 2010 will be held from September 30th to October 2nd, 2010 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

For more information on how to participate, logon to www.itehcmc.com or please contact:
Mr. Cheah Wai Hong
IIR Exhibitions Pte Ltd
Email: WaiHong.Cheah@iirx.vn

International and Chinese industry players to ride on next MICE wave at IT&CM China 2011

2010-08-25T23:34:00.000-07:00

Show receives strong support from both past and new exhibitors

Early indications signal a healthy outlook for China’s 2011 MICE market. Chinese and International MICE suppliers confident of surging market demand have committed to exhibiting at IT&CM (Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings) China 2011, China’s leading international MICE trade event, as early as one year in advance.

Among them is the ultra-luxurious Pangu 7-star Hotel Beijing, which boasts stunning views of the Water Cube, Bird’s Nest and sprawling Olympic Park. Mr Jeffery Qiao, Panghu’s Director of MICE, said: “As an up-market independent boutique hotel with many unique selling points, we are looking to impress IT&CM China’s international delegation of professional meeting planners, event organisers, destination management companies and international travel agencies. Hence, we are excited about our upcoming participation at IT&CM China 2011.” This will be Pangu’s first showcase at IT&CM China.

Other Chinese exhibitors who are already on board include Dragon Delight International Tours Ltd, Samantha Resort & Spa, Chime Long Hotel, Gloria Hotels & Resorts and China Travel Hong Kong (Zhuhai) Ocean Spring Co., Ltd.

No stranger to exhibiting at IT&CM China, international chain Sol Melia Hotels & Resorts will be back to take part in the 2011 show. Ms Sharon Lee, Area Vice President Sales Asia Pacific - Meliá Brand, enthused about her satisfaction with this year’s 2010 event: “We were delighted at the wide selection of international and Chinese MICE buyers’ attending the show. It was a good platform to promote our newly opened Gran Melia Hotel in Shanghai. We also had the opportunity to organize many site inspections for buyers and media before and after the IT&CM China 2010 show. Publicity was also very good!”

Ms Lee added, “Serious MICE professionals should be at IT&CM China 2011 to get updates on new hotels and destination offerings. We appreciate the compact appointment schedule as we are able to meet more buyers. With a wide selection of international and Chinese MICE buyers attending the show, we feel that it is a good platform to promote our Sol Melia Hotels in the Asia Pacific.”

Other international exhibitors who are also looking to benefit from the 2011 event include Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, Meetings and Exhibitions Hong Kong, TeamBuilding, Kempinski Hotels and WorldHotels.

According to the show organisers, China continues to gain momentum as a global MICE destination hotspot, especially after the staging of this year’s World Expo in Shanghai. The international and domestic buzz has spilled over to IT&CM China 2011, adding to strong support drawn from industry players. Last year’s IT&CM China 2010 was attended by some 2,000 participants including 230 exhibiting companies, 300 buyers from 37 countries, and some 100 international and local media.

Commented Mr Darren Ng, Managing Director of TTG Asia Media, “Compared to the same time last year, IT&CM China 2011 has secured 4 times more booth space bookings. We are positive that the 2011 event will prove to be an even bigger sell-out success. Thanks to our strong buyers hosting programme, we have also attracted considerable new and loyal buyer registrations from across the world, even at this early stage.”

Sylvia Phua, Chief Executive Officer of MP International, said, “IT&CM China 2011 will once again present exciting business, learning and networking opportunities that transcend geographical borders, with buyers and sellers from around the world. We hope to draw more Chinese MICE players to take part in the exhibition as the MICE sector grows from strength to strength in China.”

The show organisers will be selecting 300 key Chinese and international MICE buyers for business discussions with exhibitors. Besides the many business meetings and social events, participants can look forward to attending the IT&CM China 2011 keynote address, educational seminars on a wide range of topics.

IT&CM China 2011 will be held from April 13 to 15 next year at ShanghaiMart Expo. The 2011 theme is “Leading China’s Next MICE Wave”. The event is organised by TTG Asia Media and MP International. It has the support of the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration, Shanghai Tourism Trade Association, Shanghai Convention & Exhibition Industries Association, International Association of Professional Congress Organisers, Pacific Asia Travel Association, International Congress & Convention Association, Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE) China and SITE Hong Kong Chapter. More information is available at www.itcmchina.com
ORGANISERS
About TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd
TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd is the region’s leading travel and tourism business information and access provider, with a wide range of media products including publications, exhibitions, database management and the Internet. It is also a leading organiser and event manager of travel tradeshows in Asia, including IT&CMA (Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia), CTW (Corporate Travel World) Asia-Pacific, IT&CM China and ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 1998, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2011. It also publishes four titles targeted at distinct sectors of the travel trade: TTG Asia, TTG China, TTGmice and TTG-BTmiceChina. For more information on TTG Asia Media, visit www.ttgasiamedia.com

About MP International
Established in 1987, MP International specialises in organising exhibitions, conferences and special events. The group has organised and managed some 300 national, regional and international events, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2009 Leaders’ Week. It is a leading international organiser of trade exhibitions, including ITMA and ITMA Asia.

A member of the Pico group, MP International is headquartered in Singapore with a global footprint across Asia and Europe. MP’s success with various partners is a testimony of its ability to identify opportunities and maximise the rewards for win-win partnerships. For more information on MP International, visit www.mpinetwork.com

MEDIA CONTACTS:
International: TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd
Cheryl Tan (Ms)
Marketing Manager
1 Science Park Road, #04-07, The Capricorn
Singapore Science Park II, Singapore 117528
Tel: (65) 6395 7502. Fax: (65) 6536 0896
Email: cheryl.tan@ttgasia.com ; itcmchina@ttgasia.com
Website: www.itcmchina.com
China: MP International (Shanghai) Pte Ltd
Cherry Ye (Ms)
Assistant Director
Floor 11E, Jinming Building No 8 South Zunyi Road, Shanghai
200336 China
Tel: (86) 21 6295 9990 Fax: (86) 21 6270 6030
Email: cherryye@mpinetwork.com
Website: www.mpinetwork.com

LOMBOK, WEST NUSA TENGGARA WELCOMES TOURISM INDONESIA MART & EXPO- TIME 2010

2010-08-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

After successfully hosting the Indonesian annual travel mart, Tourism Indonesia Mart & Expo (TIME) or ‘Pasar Wisata Indonesia’ last year, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara once again will be host of this year’s Indonesia’s annual travel mart Tourism Indonesia Mart & Expo (TIME) or Pasar Wisata Indonesia. This Indonesian premier tourism event will be held on 12 – 15 October 2010 at Santosa Villas & Resort Lombok. Entering its 16th years of conduct, TIME is organized by the Indonesian Tourism Promotion Board (ITPB) and supported by entire tourism components in Indonesia.

The Chairwoman and Steering Committee of TIME 2010, Meity Robot, said the conduct of TIME also supports the government program of “Visit Indonesia Year” which continued this year, as TIME is aimed at promoting Indonesia as tourist destination in international market and at the same time raise the country image as one of global travel destinations.

“TIME is the only international travel mart in Indonesia with business to business concept. The event is a meeting place for those who sell tourism products and services in Indonesia (seller) to international market (buyer). TIME has been listed in the calendar of international travel mart together with ITB Berlin, WTM London, Arabian Travel Mart (ATM), PATA Travel Mart, and so on. TIME 2010 will present all tourist destinations, including popular travel destinations, tourism objects, new product development,” Meity continued.

“The shifting of TIME to Lombok for two consecutive years, i.e. 2009 and this year, is aimed at promoting Lombok and West Nusa Tenggara to the international market and speeding up the development and improvement of infrastructure, tourism facilities and tourism attractions in the region, so that at the end the destination could establish itself as one of global travel destinations. Moreover, with the completion of new international airport expected to be ready this year, it will attract more tourist arrivals to the island and speed up the improvement of infrastructure and encourage more investors to the region to develop new hotels as well as tourism attractions,” Meity went on.

At the press time with Local Organizing Committee of TIME 2010 consisting of West Tenggara Culture & Tourism Office and Lombok Sumbawa Promo, it was stated that the conduct of TIME in Lombok was the initial international l promotional effort or as a kick off towards the success of “Visit Lombok Sumbawa 2012” and this year Lombok is ready to once again host TIME as the event is supported by the provincial government and its tourism industry.

Lombok is located just east of Bali. The island is only 20 minutes by flight from Bali, with Selaparang International Airport. The island possesses various tourism potentials which could attract international market, from nature, i.e. mountain, sea, land) to culture and art. Presently, Lombok has almost 3500 hotel rooms with international standard. In terms of accessibility, Lombok is flown directly from Singapore by Silk Air, and from Kuala Lumpur via Surabaya by Merpati Nusantara, as well as frequent flights from Jakarta by Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air, and from Denpasar by Merpati Nusantara.

Held last year in Lombok, TIME 2009 was successfully attracted total attendants of 127 Buyers from 25 countries, with top five Buyers consist of Korea, India & Malaysia, Indonesia, USA, and the Netherlands as Top Five Buyers. TIME 2009 was also attracting a total of 250 delegates of Sellers from 97 companies of Indonesia occupying 84 booths at the Exhibition. Sellers came from 15 provinces dominated by West Nusa Tenggara, Jakarta, Bali, Central Java, and East Kalimantan as top five Sellers. The percentage of Sellers based on industry was Hotel, Resort & Spa (75%), NTO (10%), Tour Operator/Travel Agent (7%), Adventure/Activity Holiday (3%), Airline (1.5%), and Others (Hotel Management, Tourism Board, Tourism Organization & Travel Portal (8.5%). Amidst current global financial crisis, TIME 2009 booked an estimated of transaction of USD 17.48 million, or increasing 15% from the previous TIME held in Makassar, South Sulawesi in 2008. “The number of buyers attending TIME for seven consecutive years have been relatively steady since these are potential buyers which sell Indonesian tourism products and services in their markets respectively,” Meity concluded.

TIME 2010 is supported by the travel and tourism industry in Indonesia, namely Ministry of Culture & Tourism, the Provincial Government of West Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara Culture & Tourism Office, Lombok Sumbawa Promo, Garuda Indonesia as Official Airlines, other supporting airlines , Indonesia National Air Carriers Association (INACA), Board of Airline Representatives Indonesia (BARINDO), Association of Indonesian Tours & Travel Agencies (ASITA), Indonesia Hotels and Restaurant Association (PHRI), Indonesian Conference and Convention Association (INCCA), Pacto Convex as the event organizer, supported by national and international media.

For further information, please contact:
Ms. Ika Nazaruddin, International Media Coordinator - TIME 2010
Pacto Convex Ltd.
Tel: (62-21) 570 5800 Ext. 432 or 571 9973 (direct)
Fax: (62-21) 570 5798
Email: ika_nazar@cbn.net.id
Website: www.pasarwisata.com

Bangkok Airways Planning to Commence Operations in India by 2011

2010-08-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

The Bangkok-based full service carrier is planning to commence operations in India by connecting two cities in 2011.

The airline is considering New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai as potential cities for its initial operations.

“We are currently evaluating the feasibility of these four cities and are looking at starting operations in Summer 2011. India has a huge potential for business and leisure travel and we also have the availability of aircraft which allows us to add India to our international network,” Deputy Sales Director of Bangkok Airways, Chulin Kocharoen said.

Bangkok Airways offers private lounge services for both Business and Economy Class passengers at Bangkok, which is usually only offered to Business Class passengers.

All signs point to the Largest and Most Exciting ITE Exhibition ever!

2010-08-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

With barely one month to ITE HCMC, the wheels of motion are gaining momentum as it gets closer to the event. Visitors to this year’s can expect to see 150 travel specialists, tour operators & national tourism organizations from some 16 countries and regions at Vietnam’s largest Tourism Event. National group participations from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Macau, India, Taiwan, Cuba and Mexico have already been confirmed their attendance. In addition, within Vietnam itself, more than 10 provinces have confirmed their participation in ITE HCMC 2010. These include An Giang, Binh Thuan, Can Tho, Dong Nai, Hai Phong, Hue, Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, Quang Ninh, Tien Giang, Vung Tau among others. Visitors should also look out for the ITE HCMC 2010 lucky draw for their chance to win VND10 million each day

The second annual Tourism Alliance Awards (TAA) is also now open for entries till 31 August 2010. The TAA is an event within the ITE HCMC umbrella, designed to recognise the brightest tourism stars in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Winners will be presented their awards at the Vietnam Night dinner on 30 September 2010, held at Rex Hotel.

Among the illustrious panel of judges for the awards are: Mr. Nguyen Viet Anh, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism- Tourism Management, Mr. Nguyen Tri Vien, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism- Hotel Management, Anthony Valeriano, General Manager of e-Travel Blackboard, Bill Barnett, Founder and Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks, Marc Kramer, Co-Head for HVS Consulting Asia, Nigel Sharman, Chief Executive Officer of TCK Group and Robert McIntosh, Executive Director CBRE Hotels Asia Pacific.

The Awards available for this year include Airline of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, Spa Operator of the Year, Cruise Operator of the Year, Outbound Travel Operator of the Year, Inbound Travel Operator of the Year, Budget Hotel of the Year, Business Hotel of the Year, Resort Hotel of the Year and Luxury Hotel of the Year.

Amongst the new elements for TAA 2010 are the combination of Domestic and International Airline of the Year categories into the Airline of the Year. Also, new for this year is the Cruise Operator of the Year category. Also, there will be 3 Winners per category, Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards (where applicable). Entry submissions are available online at www.itehcmc.com/taa/awardsubmission.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Mr. James Chen
Marketing Manager
IIR Exhibitions Pte Ltd
Tel: +65 6517 6899
Email: james.chen@iirx.com.sg

AirAsia in talks for budget hotel in Brunei

2010-08-05T21:53:00.000-07:00

AirAsia is interested to “do more” for its Brunei-based customers, including a possible third flight and a budget hotel in the Sultanate.

AirAsia CEO Dato’ Sri (Dr) Tony Fernandes, told the Borneo Bulletin in an interview, “We’d like to do freedom flights out of Brunei.”

However, he doesn’t think it’s realistic at the moment until “the Brunei government gives us more flexibility”.

He also recommended the nation’s national carrier, Royal Brunei Airlines, to concentrate more on their premium passengers as “not everyone wants to fly AirAsia” taking into consideration that some passengers prefer first class services.

“RBA should focus on that market and allow AirAsia to serve more people and bring more business to the economy,” he said and added that by allowing more flexibility would also encourage economic growth as more tourists would be able to visit the country thanks to cheaper flight fares.

He also said that the award-winning airline will try to provide more connectivity for Brunei and allow more individuals further access to other niche areas such as medical tourism. “If we can, we’ll do a third flight (to Kuala Lumpur) as it makes it more and more easy (for Bruneian customers).”

In addition to the cheap-fare airline, Dato’ Sri (Dr) Tony Fernandes is also the founder of the Tune Hotel that has been established in many countries, the latest being in London. Brunei, he added, will also have a budget hotel “real soon” as the CEO’s marketing team is currently “in discussion” with several parties here in Brunei and added “(We’ll) try to do it for BND$10,” which would be “possible, depending on the cost of the hotel”.

Commenting on Bruneian customers, he said: “I think they’re fantastic,” whilst adding that they have personally shared with him their appreciation of AirAsia and how “it’s made their lives more easier”.

“Sometimes we let them down with long delays etc but they’re very understanding and supportive.

“I’m very appreciative for the support and the genuine warmth we have received from Brunei,” he added.

ITE HCMC's SECOND TOURISM ALLIANCE AWARDS OPEN FOR ENTRIES

2010-07-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

The Tourism Alliance Awards (TAA) is now open for entries. Into its second year, the TAA was conceptualised to celebrate and recognise the brightest tourism stars in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. The Awards aim to instill a greater sense of pride and achievement for tourism industry professionals and serves as due recognition for quality excellence within the tourism and hospitality industries in these 3 countries. Winners will be presented their awards at the ‘Vietnam Night’ on 30 September 2010.

The Awards available for this year include Airline of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, Spa Operator of the Year, Cruise Operator of the Year, Outbound Travel Operator of the Year, Inbound Travel Operator of the Year, Budget Hotel of the Year, Business Hotel of the Year, Resort Hotel of the Year and Luxury Hotel of the Year.

Amongst the new elements for TAA 2010 are the combination of Domestic and International Airline of the Year categories into the Airline of the Year. Also, new for this year is the Cruise Operator of the Year category. Also, there will be 3 Winners per category, Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards (where applicable). Entry submissions are available online at www.itehcmc.com/taa/awardsubmission.

As with ITE HCMC 2010, TAA is also organized by IIR Exhibitions, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism). The event is supported by Vietnam Tourism Association, Ministry of Tourism (Cambodia), Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, Cambodia Hotel Association, Laos National Tourism Administration, Lao Association of Travel Agents and Lao Hotel and Restaurant Association. For more information about Tourism Alliance Awards 2010 visit www.itehcmc.com/TAA.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Mr. James Chen
Marketing Manager
IIR Exhibitions Pte Ltd
Tel: +65 6517 6899
Email: james.chen@iirx.com.sg

Vietnam tourism revenue expected to reach $8.7 billion by 2013

2010-07-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

With the growing investment and increase in the number of health tourists, the tourism sector in Vietnam is all set to post double-digit growth rate.

As per new research report “Vietnam Tourism Industry Forecast to 2012”, the tourism industry in Vietnam is set for stupendous growth in the coming years. Owing to the promotional activities of government to boost tourism and increase in the MICE tourism, the tourism receipts in Vietnam are expected to reach US$ 8.7 Billion by 2013 at a double-digit growth
rate since 2010.

The report has identified various factors that contribute to the tourism industry growth. For instance - rising disposable income and improving economy will play an important role in boosting the tourism receipts. Additionally, the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi in combination with National Tourism year will affect the tourism industry in a positive manner. The number of different events in 2010 will help the industry to witness sustainable growth.

Moreover, the country is benefited from growth in the health tourism which has shown an increase of 30% (in terms of patients arrival) during 2009 against the previous year (2008). The report also discusses the emerging Cruise tourism industry that will raise the number of tourists in the coming period.

In addition, there are a lot of investments being made for the development of hotel and tourism industry. The country’s tourism industry accounted for 44.7% of the total FDI during January-November 2009. Moreover, major international players in the hospitality sector have also set up their base in the country. An overview of the different factors that may act as industry restraints has been studied in the report.

“Vietnam Tourism Industry Forecast to 2012” provides an extensive research and rational analysis along with statistical data of the tourism industry. The report contains thorough information of the current market trends, new developments and competitive landscape to enable clients better understand the market structure and its progress in coming years.

Most importantly, the report gives the industry forecast based on correlation of past drivers, challenges and opportunities for expansion. In this way, the report presents a comprehensive and coherent analysis of the tourism in Vietnam that will prove decisive for clients.

Sixth edition of ITE HCMC to be held at Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre from 30 Sep – 02 Oct 2010

2010-06-04T16:05:00.000-07:00

The sixth edition of International Travel Expo, Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) – the largest travel event in Vietnam, will be held from 30 Sep – 02 Oct 2010 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The 3 day event offers exhibitors, buyers and visitors a great opportunity to explore Asia’s most authentic and exciting tourism potential from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam under the unique ‘Three Countries One Destination’ concept.

With the ambitious Tourism Master Plans and policies backed by robust investment initiatives in infrastructure and facilities, tourism development and growth in the Mekong trio of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos is entering a new era. As in the past five years, ITE HCMC 2010 will bring together regional and local exhibitors, international buyers and travel trade professionals to exchange growing business for inbound and outbound travel opportunities in Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam.

After five years at the Phu Tho Exhibition Hall, ITE HCMC 2010 is moving to a new venue, the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre (SECC). This international standard exhibition facility located in the heart of Phu My Hung New City will provide a more conducive environment for buyer seller networking and also allow for expansion of the event.

The ITE HCMC buyers program offers international buyers a once-in-a-year opportunity to discover new tourism products and meet with tour operators, travel agents and NTO’s from the 3 countries at one event. Despite a slowdown in the global tourism industry in 2009, ITE HCMC buyers programme attracted buyers from 21 countries including many new markets such as Canada, Hungary, Poland, Russia etc. During the course of the two day meeting schedule more than 2,600 appointments were completed. ITE HCMC 2010 has now opened

30 SEP – 02 OCT 2010 SAIGON EXHIBITION & CONVENTION CENTRE (SECC)
Registration for international buyers through its website www.itehcmc.com. Approved hosted buyers will enjoy complimentary airfare and accommodation during their visit.

ITE HCMC 2010 will also offer exhibitors, buyers and trade visitors’ extensive opportunities to network with key decision makers from provincial departments of tourism during the three day event. In addition to hosted events during the exhibition, the ASEAN Tourism Investment Forum 2010, the Tourism Alliance Awards and the ITE HCMC 2010 Golf Tournament will be organized to engage a wider range of interest groups from the tourism, travel and hospitality industry.

In addition to offering a great business exchange platform ITE HCMC will also be open to the general public on the last two days. For more information on how to participate, logon to www.itehcmc.com
For media enquiries, please contact:
Mr. Cheah Wai Hong
IIR Exhibitions Pte Ltd
Email: WaiHong.Cheah@iirx.vn

Phnom Penh is working to be ready for ATF2011

2010-06-01T20:43:00.000-07:00

As I had the chance to visit Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh at the beginning of May 2010, I went to examine and visit some official hotels, which will be hosting buyers and international media during the upcoming ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) during January 15-21, 2011.

ATF is a co-operative regional effort to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region as one tourist destination. This annual event involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 member nations of ASEAN: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. Thus, the hosting of ATF is rotated among the member countries each year. ATF2011 marks the 30th anniversary of this event since its inauguration in Malaysia in 1981 and will be under the theme of "ASEAN - A World of Wonders and Diversity.”

It is projected that Cambodia will welcome over 1.600 delegates, which includes 400 international buyers and 100 international media. As Cambodia has already successfully hosted ATF in Phnom Penh in 2003, the Ministry of Tourism is honored for Phnom Penh to be chosen once again to host the event. There has been a lot of development in infrastructure and facilities since then and TRAVEX (Travel Exchange), the main happening during ATF, will be held at the newly built Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center.

TRAVEX is a trade-only mart designed to offer opportunities for sellers of ASEAN travel products to meet buyers from around the world through scheduled appointments. It is also an ideal platform for buyers to gather the latest information on ASEAN tourism products and services, establish new business contacts and learn about the tourism trade in the region.

Located along the Mekong-Bassac River, in the heart of Phnom Penh, “Diamond Island” covers an area of 100 hectares. In 2006, the Khmer-Canadian Oversea Cambodia Investment Company (OCIC) signed an agreement with the government of Phnom Penh to develop and manage the island.

Diamond Island will consist of not only tourism areas, but will also have shopping malls, 5-star hotels, an Expo center, villas, flats, offices, schools, hospitals and an impressive 333 meter high tower, from which everyone will be able to have a 360-degree panoramic view of Phnom Penh.

As the newest hotel “NagaWorld” is just a stone-throw of this ambitious Diamond Island City, I started my survey there on May 1 and was welcomed by Mr. Huot Dara, Manager Sales & Marketing, who introduced me to the official hotel of ATF2011.

NagaWorld Cambodia (www.nagaworld.com) is a first-class hotel and casino entertainment complex, which is quickly becoming a key landmark in the heart of Phnom Penh, overlooking the mighty Mekong River and Samdech Hun Sen Park, within easy access to the Royal Palace, National Museum and the Independence Monument. With a multi-faceted 8-storey wing dedicated to entertainment, such as public gaming halls and karaoke lounges, the hotel complex offers 525 deluxe rooms and suites in its 14-storey hotel wing and a dedicated Spa, where it is possible to get a real Khmer traditional massage. In an annex building behind, there are plans to have a 5-storey car park with a rooftop swimming pool.

For one night I tried a guestroom on the 10th floor and was overwhelmed by the superb view over Chaktomuk, the four faces of the Mekong River, as well as the low profile of the city. The room had all modern facilities, such as broadband Internet access, in-room safe, LCD TV, and a convenient bathroom. The hotel offers five restaurants, such as the Bistro Romano Italian, Korean Grill, Chopstick Noodle House, Le Gourmet French, and the Pangea Fusion Restaurant. Also, there is the Aristocratic Wine & Cigar Bar and the sophisticated Darlin Darlin Club Lounge, where it is no problem to feel at home. Needless to say that there is a state of the art ballroom, which easily can accommodate 1.600 people, an auditorium and five fully equipped meeting rooms.

My next stop and 3-night stay was in the 410-room Phnom Penh Hotel (www.phnompenhhotel.com), which is also an official hotel of ATF2011 and managed by Thailand-born Khun Pheerasit Kanthiwang. The hotel is located at No 53, Monivong Boulevard, and in walking distance to the important landmark of Wat Phnom. Also within walking distance are a myriad of French colonial mansions and a wealth of shopping places and markets waiting to be discovered.

At the moment, the hotel is in the midst of a renovation that will swallow more than 100.000USD. Famous are its daily food and beverage activities, such as the Palm View Cafe for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Hugo’s Grill offering a wine and steak promotion, Coffee Corner with bakery or pastry, and Pool Side with a sandwich promotion. Last not least, Zenith Lounge features a popular Philippine music band entertaining the guests until midnight. There are also massage & spa facilities and a modern Health Club. I’m sure that the hotel will be fully booked, when ATF2011 is in town.

Other official hotels of ATF are the following (in alphabetical order):
The Almond Hotel (www.almondhotel.com.kh) is designed and constructed in a contemporary Khmer style and equipped with modern facilities to help the tourist relax and plan the stay. Guests visiting for business can continue their work in comfort. The hotel offers free internet access in all guest rooms and common facilities.

The Cambodiana Hotel (www.hotelcambodiana.com) offers a new concept in exclusive, luxury accommodation for leisure or business travelers in search of privacy, relaxation and recreation. The luxury hotel has 234 rooms and suites with excellent views of the Royal Palace or the mighty Mekong River.

The Himawari Hotel (www.himawarihotel.com) is located in the heart of the vibrant city of Phnom Penh and provides easy access to embassies, government ministries and historic sites. Self-contained apartments, most with magnificent views of the Tonle Sap River, are perfect for short or long stays. The hotel's well-known Oyster Restaurant and Bar serves Eastern and Western cuisine. There is a comprehensive range of facilities, such as the on-site Fitness One Health Club, including outdoor jacuzzi, swimming pool, tennis court and a dance studio.

The Imperial Garden Villa & Hotel (www.imperialgarden-hotel.com) is cooled by river breezes just minutes away from Phnom Penh bustling riverfront area.

InterContinental Phnom Penh (www.ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental) is located in the business district overlooking the spectacular panoramic view of the city with an extensive choice of meeting, dining and leisure options. Its 346 rooms blend contemporary and traditional design, featuring clean, modern lines with delicate motifs of ancient Khmer art.

Raffles Hotel Le Royal (www.raffles.com) owns a unique combination of Khmer tradition, Art Deco and French colonial architecture, since its doors were opened in 1929. The legendary Raffles experience is enhanced by gracious Cambodian staff, anticipating every need with grace and genuine warmth. Try the most famous Elephant Bar.

The Sunway Phnom Penh (www.phnompenh.sunwayhotels.com) is located in the city center and offers 138 spacious guestrooms and suites with own high-speed broadband Internet access. Seating capacity of its eleven meeting rooms varies from 50-270 people. Surrounded by lush greenery amidst colonial buildings, the hotel is in a walking distance to the riverfront and major shopping centers.

The Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra (www.sofitel.com) will be blending Asian and European design elements, when it opens in October of this year. The 202 rooms and suites will lavish you with luxurious and high-tech facilities.

When I left Phnom Penh again on May 5 for Siem Reap by bus, I was very upbeat about the speed of developments in Phnom Penh, which is not only the biggest town along the mighty Mekong River in Southeast Asia but also a cosmopolitan metropolis to come. Surely, the town is working to be ready for ATF2011.

For further information, please go to www.atfcambodia.com or contact GMS Media Travel Consultant Reinhard Hohler by e-mail: sara@cmnet.co.th

UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Secretary General Dr. Taleb Rifai makes first official trip to Cambodia

2010-05-28T03:17:00.000-07:00

Secretary general of UN World Tourism Organisation makes first official trip of his tenure and warns that ecotourism needs governmental support to take root

Sustainable tourism that promotes and protects environmental values forms the future of sector, and those who ignore its importance will struggle to compete, a leading official from the United Nations’ tourism body said Thursday.

“I can assure you that the destinations that do not position themselves as responsible sustainable destinations will be left behind very soon,” UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Secretary General Taleb Rifai told industry delegates at the NagaWorld Hotel and Casino in Phnom Penh.

In his first official visit to any country since becoming Secretary General in January, Taleb Rifai said sustainable tourism was one of three key challenges – the other two being job creation and poverty alleviation – that the industry needs to keep addressing in order to reach its full potential as a support to the economy.

Comparing climate change to the economic crisis of 2009, he said that those who developed tourism while respecting environmental concerns would see their businesses benefit.

“Travellers are going to be demanding on this – it’s part of being a good citizen. You’re going to see tourists going to more destinations that adopt sustainable practices. It’s going to be good for business,” he said.

Cambodia’s Minister for Tourism Thong Khon said in his welcoming speech to Taleb Rifai that the government had already made ecotourism, together with community tourism and agrotourism, a priority.

He pointed to initiatives such as the Clean City, Clean Resort, Clean Service competition.

“We hold the Clean City contest in an attempt to enhance environmental beauty, hygiene and to promote the protection of the environment in both the cities and provinces,” he said.

However, he said there is more the government plans to do.

“Using the seven basic strategies and key indicators of the UNWTO, we will prepare an in-depth strategic plan of Cambodia, post-crisis, in order to achieve a green economy.

“With 2010 as our starting point, we will aim to create in Cambodia more sustainable, quantitative, cultural and natural tourism by 2015,” Thong Khon said.

Taleb Rifai said tourism is the third-largest industry in the world, surpassing food and energy and many other traditionally important industries.

However, he said, it is sometimes negatively affected by decision-makers who do not appreciate its full effectiveness in helping the economy.

“There are also clear signs for an increased appetite to impose taxes on the industry. This is still seen as a standalone industry and very little public acknowledgment and awareness as to how much damage can be done if this industry is not supported,” he said.

On the part of tourism groups, he encouraged them to pitch their services as a key pillar of the economy.

“Unless we link it [tourism] to poverty alleviation, environmental responsibility, and to job creation then it will continue to be a standalone industry that is under-recognised and under-utilised,” he said.

“It is the without doubt the largest transfer of wealth and funds from those that have it to those that don’t have it,” he said.

He said that UNWTO projected that by 2020 up to 1.6 billion people will be “crossing borders every year – and the market share is moving in the direction of Asia”.

source:ppp

The Trail of Civilization 2010 reached Siem Reap in Cambodia

2010-05-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

Having received an invitation from the Organizing Commission of the Trail of Civilization (TOC) and Performance 2010 to participate in the opening of the event to be held on April 28 at the Bayon Temple, Siem Reap Province in Cambodia, I decided to reach Siem Reap overland from Chiang Mai.

I left the Northern Thai town of Chiang Mai on April 25 at 16.15 with a VIP bus from Nakhon Chai Air to Surin (893Baht). On its long way to the Northeast of Thailand (I-San) the bus stopped in Lamphun, Lampang, Denchai in Phrae Province, Uttaradit, Phitsanulok (for dinner), Chaiyaphum (for breakfast) and Buriram to reach Surin on 6.30 in the morning. Already twenty minutes later, there left a minibus from the bus station to the Chong Chom/O’Smach international border of Thailand and Cambodia (60Baht). I went across the border, where there is a visa on arrival service (20USD for a tourist visa).

While walking into the Cambodian casino place of O’Smach, I was approached by a taxi driver to take me directly to Siem Reap, which is located some 220km away. The taxi’s cost was 2,000Baht and as there was another foreigner waiting nearby, we shared the taxi accordingly. At 9.00, we left O’Smach on a dusty road along the Dang Rek mountain range to Anlong Veng some 80km away, where a sealed asphalt road heads towards the south. The landscape looked like a desert with only a few houses along the road, as the country was in the midst of a drought. At 11.00 we reached Kbal Spean, where mountainous terrain allows a sacred spring to originate the Siem Reap River. Also, we passed Banteay Srei to reach Siem Reap just before midday.

I checked in at the Sokha Angkor Resort, which is strategically located in the heart of Siem Reap on National Road No.6 in walking distance to the Old Market. The five star internationally luxury resort offers 276 rooms & suites. I was luckily invited to get a complimentary room with a private balcony overlooking the Khmer-style saltwater swimming pool featuring a cascading waterfall. Other services of the resort include wireless Internet access, The Lotus all day fusion cuisine restaurant and Le Chanthou fine dining restaurant, Takezono Japanese Restaurant, Champa Lounge and Irish Pub. Needless to say that the resort is recommended for its superb meeting and convention facilities, including the 16-room Jasmine Spa, a gymnasium and beauty salon (see at www.sokhahotels.com).

In the evening, there was an entertaining dinner reception at the poolside of the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, presided over by Samdech Chaufea Veang Kong Som Ol, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Royal Palace and Chairman of the 4th Trail of Civilization.

In 2006, tourism ministers from six countries, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam, declared a common objective on cultural tourism promotion that has been manifested in the Borobudur Declaration and the Borobudur Plan of Action. This ongoing cooperation is referred to as the Trail of Civilization (TOC) and its 4th one has arrived this year in Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia.

During the 2nd Meeting of Senior Officials of TOC on cultural tourism cooperation on April 27 at the Angkor Century Resort & Spa, there was a discussion on the draft of the Siem Reap Roadmap for cooperation of TOC 2010-2015. Mr. Tith Chantha, Director General for Tourism, Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, and Mr. Sapta Nirwandar, Director General, Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism, chaired the meeting, while in the afternoon of April 27 there was a business forum on cultural tourism promotion. Actually, the sites of TOC to get promoted are the following: Angkor in Cambodia, Borobudur in Central Java, Indonesia, Luang Prabang in Lao PDR, Bagan in Myanmar, Ayutthaya in Thailand, and last not least, Hue in Viet Nam. Also, there were panel discussions on Cultural Heritage Conservation and Linkage, Community based Tourism, Airport Management and Capacity, as well as on Cultural Tourism Cooperation.

The highlight of TOC was certainly the performance of the great Buddhist tourism festival of Visakhbochea Day (Buddhist Era 2554) at Angkor’s Bayon Temple on the full moon night of April 28. Presided over by H.E. Mr. Sar Kheng, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and Lok Chumteav Bun Rany Hun Sen, the Bayon Temple at Angkor Thom was completely lighted and monks and nuns held candles in front. The art performance included scenes of Prince Siddharta’s Birth (by Myanmar), Prince Siddharta’s Marriage (by Indonesia), Prince Siddharta’s four encounters (by Thailand), Prince Siddharta’s becoming a monk (by Viet Nam), Prince Siddharta’s accepting of rice (Lao PDR) and Prince Siddharta’s gaining enlightenment (by Cambodia). A heavy downpour was in order.

TOC officially ended on April 29 with the 2nd Ministerial Meeting at Sofitel Angkor under the chairmanship of H.E. Dr. Thong Khon, Cambodian Minister of Tourism, and H.E. Mr. Jero Wacik, Indonesian Minister of Culture and Tourism. All the attending ministers tasked the tourism officials of the Borobudur declaratory countries to work closely with the private sector to work out a strategic program, which offers cost effective tour packages and inter-TOC linkages by air, land and sea. To implement the Siem Reap Roadmap for cooperation of TOC 2010-2015, each member country will establish a working group of cultural tourism.

Finally, it was announced that Lao PDR is hosting the next TOC event and meetings in Luang Prabang in October 2011. Also, there was an environmental tree planting ceremony in Angkor near the waterwheel at the Siem Reap River, a golf competition, and another dance performance at the Bayon Temple with artists from Cambodia, Brunei, China, India, South Korea, Malaysia and Philippines.

Covered by GMS Media Travel Consultant Reinhard Hohler

Mekong Tourism Forum in Siem Reap was well received and constructive

2010-05-11T00:40:00.000-07:00

Some 170 delegates, including 20 media, from the public and rivate sector met at the Angkor Century Resort & Spa in Siem Reap on may 7-8, 2010 to revive the spirit of the Mekong Tourism Forum (MTF), which was annually held in the past from 1996 to 2005. After a lapse of five years, the successful MTF re-emerged under the theme “New Roads, New Opportunities” and was well received and constructive.

It was up to H.E. Dr. Thong Khon, Tourism Minister of Cambodia, to give the closing remarks of the two-day forum on the evening of May 8 and co-host a farewell gala dinner together with Bangkok-based Mr. R. J. Gurley, Director of the USAID-funded ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) Project. The money to finance the new MTF was mainly provided by the ACE Project - apart from the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism and the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office in Bangkok with its Executive Director, American Mason Florence, who facilitated the forum accordingly.

The six participating Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries, namely Cambodia, China (Yunnan and Guangxi), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam, which are also part of ASEAN, are well-known in the region for their cultural diversity and common hospitality. Mrs. Shireen Lateef, who represented the Asian Development Bank (ADB), mentioned in the opening remarks of the forum that ADB is pleased to be an active partner of the GMS countries in providing financial and technical assistance to pursue a strategic roadmap for sub-regional cooperation in the tourism sector. The focus is especially on marketing and product development, human resource development, heritage conservation, pro-poor development, and the development of tourism-related infrastructure.

While H.E. Kousoum Saroeuth, Secretary of State, Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, wanted to promote the GMS countries as a single destination, Mr. Greg Duffell, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), saw the hub of the GMS in Bangkok, Thailand. In both cases the “Bridging of the Mekong River” has a high priority and is a very welcomed investment opportunity.

There was a panel discussion called “Responding to Changing Markets” moderated by Mr. Ludwig G. Rieder, Director of Asia Pacific Projects, where representatives of the six GMS National Tourism Organizations (NTO) updated the delegates on tourism statistics and promotional budgets. It seems that Myanmar is doing well and has just introduced a visa on arrival service for all
international tourists. Also, there was a MTF welcome dinner at the FCC Angkor in Siem Reap.

In the opening session of the second day of the forum, two GMS tourism pioneers came to word, namely Lim Neo Chian, former CEO of the Singapore Tourism Board, and Luzi Matzig, CEO of Asian Trails from Bangkok. Both men told about their overland travel experiences by crossing problematic borders on roads less traveled. Mr. Matzig even mentioned his most impressive travel tour some 12 years ago from Kunming in China’s Yunnan to Kathmandu in Nepal.

Some other panel discussions followed on Pioneering Tourism Products, Community-based Tourism, Sustainable Tourism, and last not least on The Road Ahead. Two trends were highlighted: On-line travel and inter-regional travel are the future.

Last not least, Mr. Sounh Manivong, Director General of the Planning and Cooperation Department, Lao National Tourism Administration, announced that the next Mekong Tourism Forum is to be held in Pakse, Champasak Province, Lao PDR, on May 5-7, 2011. Anyway, there is enough time to build up on the lessons learnt.

Some recommended new tourism products, which were exhibited in some GMS Travel Expo booths in the lobby area of the hotel, are worth to get mentioned (in alphabetical order):

1. Angkor National Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia (www.angkornationalmuseum.com)
2. Angkor Village Hotel Resort & Spa, Siem Reap, Cambodia (http://www.angkorvillage.com/)
3. Eastern Plains Landscape, Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia (www.panda.org)
4. Eco-Tourism in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia (Contact by telephone: 012658824)
5. Isanborei Community by GTZ and Khiri Travel, Thailand (www.samborpreikuk.com)
6. Mechrey Natural Tourism, Siem Reap, Cambodia (www.mechreytonlesap.com)
7. Mekong Discovery Trail, Linking SNV pro-poor tourism in Lao PDR and Cambodia
(Please contact Mr. Thavipeth Oula in Vientiane, Lao PDR, by e-mail (thaviphet@yahoo.com)
8. Mystical Myanmar FAM Trips 2010 (www.myanmar-tourism.com)
9. Nest Angkor Cafe Bar (Restaurant) in Siem Reap, Cambodia (www.nestangkor.com)
10. Vietnam Marine Tourism (www.vietnamtourism.com)
11. VLK Royal Tourism Company, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Cambodia
(www.vlktravel.com)
12. Yunnan Travel Guide (www.cnta.gov.cn)

Finally, I want to say thank you to Mr. Philip Set Kao, General Manager of Borei Angkor Resort & Spa, Siem Reap, Cambodia, for his kindness and hospitality to supply a complimentary room during the time to cover and attend the Mekong Tourism Forum 2010.

The palace-like Borei Angkor Resort & Spa is nestled along National Road No.6 leading to Phnom Penh and is surrounded by a lush tropical garden. Its 188 spacious rooms feature wooden floors and private balconies overlooking the 30m long swimming pool. Each room is equipped with Hi-speed Internet connection.

Alternatively, you can use the business center in the lobby for Internet services. Cambodian culture dominates and a taste of Royal Khmer Cuisine is a must. Other facilities in the resort offer the separate Mutita Spa, Borei Cafe for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Bakong Lounch, Horizon Blue Pub, as well as the elegant Bokor Ballroom for weddings and MICE services. The 5-star resort is
prized with a recent award of excellence by the Studiosus Travel Company in Munich, Germany. For reservations, please go to: www.boreiangkor.com

Covered By GMS Media Travel Consultant Reinhard Hohler.

Mekong Tourism Forum 2010 Opens in Cambodia

2010-05-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Mekong Tourism Forum opened today in Siem Reap, Cambodia, with private and public sector tourism representatives gathering to assess the opportunities arising from the new road corridors that are opening up the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS).

In his opening remarks to over 170 attendees at the opening session today, H.E. Kuosuom Saroeuth, Secretary of State, Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia, said: "The Mekong Tourism Forum represents an inclusive, cooperative effort to encourage both public and private sector participation to represent the GMS as a single destination. We hope to expand our marketing networks, promote the GMS, and its stakeholders, and pool our collective resources to create synergy between the six countries of the region."

The Secretary of State told forum delegates that Asia and the Mekong region were pulling the travel industry out of its recent recession. He pointed out that Cambodia's international visitor arrivals grew in 2009 compared to 2008.

The focus of the forum will be on the benefits to tourism that occur from new road corridors linking the region. The GMS countries, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the southern Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi, chose the theme "New Roads, New Opportunities" to pinpoint the challenges and opportunities facing tourism in the region.

"The time is right for inspirational and innovative cross-border tourism ideas that utilise the new road links," said Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) Executive Director, Mr Mason Florence. "We're moving from infrastructure provision to promotion and protection in the GMS. That's why the Mekong Tourism Forum will become an annual event again."

During the two-day forum, delegates will also hear from Mekong region governments about their plans for cooperation in tourism. Officials will update the audience on visa regulations, airport developments, border crossing changes, and new policies and incentives for the industry.

Apart from the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism and the MTCO, financial support for the Forum is being provided by the USAID-funded ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) project

ACE Director Mr R. J. Gurley told delegates that USAID would continue to work with tourism partners to increase cross-border exchanges of people, goods and services in the ASEAN region, which is striving to become a fully integrated economic community by 2015.

"ASEAN has identified responsible tourism as a priority sector for growth and greater integration in ASEAN and Mekong countries," said Mr Gurley. "The ACE Project is exploring how we can enhance the tourism industry's integration and competitiveness at the regional and sub-regional levels."

The Asian Development Bank wants to see new small and medium-sized tourism businesses creating wealth for the sub-region. "Our aim is for responsible community-based tourism enterprises to develop along and near the road corridors," said Christine Jacquemin, the MTCO Sustainable Tourism Development Project Coordinator, a position supported by the ADB. "New businesses may be small, but they can do a great job to diversify attractions and bring in money outside the major destinations."

Leading tour operators, hotel companies, airlines and development organizations are attending the Mekong Tourism Forum 2010 along with tourism officials.

During the forum at the Angkor Century Resort & Spa in Siem Reap, panel discussions are being held on "Pioneering Mekong Tourism Products," "The Path to Community-based Tourism," "How Sustainable Tourism Can Drive Profit," and "The Road Ahead".

For the full program showing all speakers, visit:

http://mekongtourismforum.org/site/forum/programme/

For further information email to: mtf@mekongtourism.org or call the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office at: (+66) 2-612-4150.

About the Mekong Tourism Forum
The Mekong Tourism Forum provides a cooperative platform for stakeholders in the tourism industry to discuss the development, marketing and promotion of travel to, from and within the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). It is an inclusive, interactive and results-oriented opportunity aiming to encourage public and private sector participants to work together to represent the GMS as a single destination.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) organized the first Mekong Tourism Forum in 1996 and led it for 10 consecutive years. The hosting of this influential annual event rotated among destinations within the GMS until 2005, and in the years following private sector initiated events continued to work towards the forum's goals. The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office will revive the forum in 2010.

About the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office
The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) is an intergovernmental body uniting the national tourism organizations (NTOs) of the six-nation Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). It is tasked with fostering the sustainable development and promotion of travel within the region, and marketing the GMS as a single destination under the 'Mekong Tourism' brand. Website: www.MekongTourism.org

Media queries: Mr. Ken Scott ken@scottasia.net
ScottAsia Communications
(Media relations on behalf of Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office)

AirAsia celebrates its maiden flight to Mumbai

2010-05-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

Picture: (left to right) Mr. Manoharan, Director of Tourism Malaysia, Mumbai, Azran Osman Rani, C.E.O of AAX, Encik Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah, Consul General of Malaysia, Dato' Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes, GCEO of AirAsia Berhad, Ms. Kathleen Tan, Regional Head of Commercial flanked by AirAsia flight attendants

The World’s Best Low-Cost Airline, AirAsia celebrated its inaugural flight to Mumbai from Kuala Lumpur today signifying its foray entry into Western India. Marking a major tourism and economic coup for both countries, commencing today AirAsia will be servicing the Kuala Lumpur – Mumbai route between the Low Cost Carrier Terminal and Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport with 4 direct flights weekly through its low cost, long haul affiliate, AirAsia X.

The A330 aircraft deployed for the Mumbai – Kuala Lumpur route, took off on-time at 9:20 am (GMT+8) and touched down at 12:00 noon IST in Mumbai. The momentous event was kicked-off with a traditional Indian welcoming dance for the Malaysian entourage at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The event was attended by Dato’ Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of AirAsia and Founder of AirAsia X, Azran Osman Rani, CEO of AirAsia X, Kathleen Tan, Regional Head of Commercial joined by Wan Zaidi, Consulate General of Malaysia, Mumbai, Mr. Manoharan, Director of Tourism Malaysia, Mumbai and Ms. Sujata Thakur, Regional Director India Tourism Mumbai (Maharashtra).

Dato’ Sri Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of AirAsia and Founder of AirAsia X said “We are thrilled to start this much-awaited service to Mumbai today and provide the people of this magnificent city with unrivalled low-fare flights to Kuala Lumpur, the Gateway to ASEAN and beyond. AirAsia, the World’s Best Low-Cost airline, is determined to help in enhancing the tourist and commercial links between India and Malaysia. Mumbai is our sixth destination city in India, after Trivandrum, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi and Tiruchirappali,”

“At AirAsia, 2010 is fast becoming the Year of India. We started out by establishing our strong presence in the ASEAN region (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations), followed by our vast expansion into China. With AirAsia X, our low-cost, long-haul affiliate, we reached further – to Australia and the United Kingdom. AirAsia has a strong domestic high frequency network that enables the people from India to connect to Malaysia and visit beautiful places like Langkawi, Sabah, Sarawak and tap on our incredible network using Kuala Lumpur as a gateway to the many points served by AirAsia to destinations such as China, Bali, Phuket, Australia, London and many more. Moving forward, we are also looking at introducing flights from Bangkok to this vibrant city later in the year”, concluded Tony.

Mrs. Sujata Thakur, Regional Director, India Tourism, Mumbai said “On behalf of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India we welcome Air Asia, a low cost airline for starting operations to Mumbai. I am sure with its arrival to Mumbai we will see increased tourist inflow from Malaysia and other ASEAN Countries to Mumbai and its adjoining regions. With Air Asia’s operations from Mumbai the Indian passengers will also benefit. As it will lead to increase travel opportunities not only for Malaysia but other ASEAN Countries as well.”

This new service to Mumbai will not only complement AirAsia’s aggressive growth in India but also feed more traffic into both countries. In addition to that, this timely service is in accordance with Malaysia’s Prime Minister’s call on strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries. AirAsia is supporting this by liberalizing air travel with its undisputed low-fares to further boost tourism, trade and investment between the two countries and opening-up the market to the world. More importantly, more people will enjoy greater reach to Asean and beyond destinations with greater ease with AirAsia’s unrivalled low fares.

Guests flying on this new route will have the chance to experience the new comfortable ‘flatbed Premium seats’ on the brand new A330 aircraft. The flatbed seats are standard business class specifications of 20” width, 60” pitch and stretches out to 77” in full recline position. The seats feature universal power sockets, adjustable headrests and built-in personal utilities such as tray table, drink holder, reading light and privacy screen. The new improvement is set to distinguish the world’s most successful low-cost long-haul airline as a distinctive leader in the market, further bolstering the brand as the advocates of innovation and excellence.

Mumbai, which was previously known as Bombay is a major metropolitan city of India and is the home to the Bollywood stars. It is the state capital of Maharashtra . Mumbai city is known as the business capital of India, it being the country's principal financial and communications centre. There are myriad of interesting places to visit in Mumbai which include the colonial structures, the beaches, museums, and the art galleries along with the colorful and busy streets comprise the major tourist attractions in Mumbai, India.

The edifices and the colonial structures that adorn Mumbai speak of the grand and glorious history of the city. The Gateway of India, the Elephanta Caves, Prince of Wales Museum, Marine Drive, Haji Ali’s Tomb, Victoria Terminus, and Film City are amongst the must visit places of Mumbai. To mark the celebration, AirAsia is offering an amazing low fare from as low as RM 0.08 sen* for travelers from Mumbai – Kuala Lumpur.

To add value, AirAsia, under its one stop travel portal - AirAsiaGo at www.airasiago.com is also offering some great online hotel deals to stretch the dollar where guests can choose their holiday lodgings from over 70,000 hotels, tour packages and ground transfers. Guests are also encouraged to purchase food, baggage online to enjoy more discounts and savings through www.airasia.com.

Flight Schedule KUALA LUMPUR – MUMBAI - KUALA LUMPUR
Flights From Departure/ Arrival --- Flight No. ---- Frequency
Kuala Lumpur to Mumbai 09:20 / 12:00 D7 2516 Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday
Mumbai to Kuala Lumpur 13:20 / 21:00 D7 2517 Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday

Jointly, the AirAsia Group will have a total of 148 flights weekly to the various points in India which include Tiruchirappalli, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kochin, Trivandrum, Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai (to Kuala Lumpur and Penang).
* Fare shown is for one-way travel and excluding airport tax

For more information, please visit www.airasia.com

Myanmar Launches Tourist Visas on Arrival

2010-05-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

Myanmar's budding tourism industry has received a boost with its military government allowing visas on arrival.

Tourist visas, which are normally arranged days in advance at an embassy abroad, will be now be available at international airports in Mandalay and the biggest city, Yangon, said Tin Tun Aung, secretary of the Myanmar Travel Entrepreneurs Association.

The cost of the visa will be $30 and would be valid for 28 days.

Although Myanmar is rich in jungles, beaches and mountains and is dotted with hundreds of golden Buddhist temples, its tourism industry remains largely undeveloped.

Total tourist arrivals in Myanmar during for the fiscal year 2009-2010 stood at 300,000, compared with 255,288 for the same period a year earlier. Some 315,536 people traveled to Myanmar in the 2005-2006 period, official data showed.

Myanmar's government plans to hold its first election in two decades some time this year and is on a drive to privatize numerous industries, including shipping and air travel, to attract more foreign investment, which has been restricted by Western sanctions on the regime.

Cambodia's first Royal Plowing Ceremony was performed in Siem Reap

2010-05-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

According to media sources in Siem Reap, Cambodia on Sunday held the first Royal Plowing Ceremony at Lean Chul Damrei near Angkor Wat Temple in more than four decades.

Mr. Chea Kean, Deputy Secretary General of the Committee for National and International Festivals, said that such Royal Plowing Ceremony was performed for the first time in 1967 under then King Norodom Sihanouk, and the ceremony held here on Sunday was now the second one.

Normally, the Royal Plowing Ceremony is held annually at Veal Meru near the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, but Mr. Chea Kean said that this year the government had decided to hold it in Siem Reap Province as a link to the "Trail of Civilization" event during Visakh Bochea Day that was highlighted on April 28 at the Bayon Temple area.

Presiding over the Royal Plowing Ceremony was King Norodom Sihamoni, son of retired King Norodom Sihanouk, and many government officials including Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly, other senior officials, diplomats and at least 100,000 onlookers from various parts of the country participated, including foreign tourists.

Prince Sisowath Vochiravuth, and Princess Norodom Rasmei Pornita were acting as the main plowers at the ceremony on Sunday, and were accompanied by Sou Phirin, Governor of Siem Reap Province.

The ceremony marks the start of rainy season that begins in May and to end in October.

When the procession of the ceremony began Sunday morning, seven trays with rice, sesame, water, corn, beans, grass, and rice wine were put in front of two royal oxen and royal astrologers make predictions based on what and how much amount of the food and drinks taken by the two oxen. As two oxen ate only corn and bean, Korng Keng, Chief of Royal Astrologers predicted for the year 2010 that Cambodian farmers will enjoy a good harvest with corn and bean as well with other crops.

Each of the seven food and drinks has a different meaning and most of them have a good sign as long as those two oxen had eaten or drunken, except rice wine and grass that will signify a bad prediction.

To drink rice wine means theft and robbery, while eating grass means that insects will disrupt the crops.

Cambodia is an agrarian country with rice and other crops as the main export to other countries. In the neighboring Kingdom of Thailand the Royal Plowing Ceremony will be held in Bangkok on May 9.

A Cambodian royal astrologer predicted Sunday at one of the ancient temples in the Angkor Wat complex that Cambodia will have ''good'' agricultural crops this year.

Astrologer Korng Keng told a crowd of tens of thousands at Lean Chul Damrei Temple in Siem Reap Province that the country's crops, especially corn and beans, will be ''good.''

He made the prediction at a ceremony to mark the beginning of the rainy season in Cambodia, drawing his conclusions from the results of the Royal Plowing Ceremony.

The ceremony in Siem Reap is the first since 1967 when then Crown Prince, later King, Norodom Sihanouk presided over the plowing.

This year, Sihanouk's son King Norodom Sihamoni watched over the traditional welcome to the growing season along with thousands of government officials, diplomats, foreign visitors and Cambodians.

The ceremony is usually held annually near the royal palace in Phnom Penh at the start of the planting season.

But Thong Khon, minister of tourism, said the ceremony was in Siem Reap this year because the timing coincides with the first great Buddhist tourism event ''The Trail of Civilization and Art Performance'' at Angkor Wat in which more than 100,000 participants, including those from nine other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus China, Japan, South Korea and India.

It is also being used to attract more tourists to Angkor Wat.

Tourism is Cambodia's second-largest income earner after the garment sector and Angkor Wat is the main target for foreign tourists in Cambodia.

According to government statistics, despite a decline in tourism worldwide because of the global economic crisis, Cambodia achieved an increase of 1.7 percent in foreign arrivals last year to 2,161,577.

And in the first three months of 2010, 683,692 international tourists visited Cambodia, an increase of 9.87 percent from the same three months last year.

In the Royal Plowing Ceremony, seven golden trays -- holding rice, corn, beans, sesame, grass, water or rice wine -- are laid out for a pair of royal oxen and predictions for the coming growing season are made from the choices made by the oxen when they reach the trays.

This year, the oxen ate most of the corn and beans, indicating Cambodian farmers will have ''good'' crops at least for these two products in 2010.

According to the royal astrologer, if the oxen eat the grass it means bad luck for farmers because insects may attack the crops.

If they drink the rice wine it means turmoil, fighting or robbery in the country.

But this year, the oxen ate no grass, rice or sesame and drank no water or rice wine.

Drinking water indicates lots of water for cropping, while eating sesame indicates a big harvest.

Last year, when the oxen ate all the corn and beans, Korng Keng predicted ''quite good crops'' for Cambodian farmers.

And Cambodia produced about 7.3 million tons of rice in 2009, leaving a surplus of nearly 3 million tons for export.

Chan Sarun, minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, recently said Cambodia is expected to become one of the world's major rice exporters when a long-term plan to increase land under rice cultivation to 3.5 million hectares from the current 2.6 million hectares is complete.

Rice production then is estimated to reach 12.25 million tons annually.

Escape to beautiful Zhangjiajie with Samantha Resort & Spa

2010-04-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

SAMANTHA RESORT & SPA

More than a Resort, A state of Mind

Surrounded by the spectacular beauty of world famous UNESCO World Heritage Site Wulingyuan. Samantha Resort & Spa is a unique and truly awe-inspiring retreat. Samantha Resort & Spa offers stylish accommodation set in picturesque, manicured gardens punctuated by revitalizing pools and streams.

Situated in Hunan Province in the heart of China, Zhang Jia Jie is easily accessible via bus, coach, train or air. International flights connect Zhang Jia Jie to Hong Kong and Seoul, and there domestic flights to and from 35 domestic cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi’an, Tianjin, Hangzhou and Shenzhen.

Spread over 116 hectares and just 26 kilometres from Zhang Jia Jie International Airport, Samantha Resort & Spa is nestled among breathtaking mountains, and enjoys spectacular views of the nearby Bao Feng Lake. The resort is also situated in the grounds of the endangered Giant Salamander nature reserve and breeding centre.

With a 119-room hotel and 59 private freestanding villas, the resort is the most spacious of the Zhang Jia Jie area’s luxury hotels. Guests can escape to a private villa for an indulgent luxury romantic vacation, wine and dine themselves at lavish restaurants, take part in the plethora of resort activities laid on both in and outside the resort, or just relax by the pool with nothing on your mind except your next treatment at the sumptuous Les Bain Spa.

This beautiful retreat, with its traditional Chinese architecture, neatly thatched roofs, secluded courtyards and private gardens is designed to blend into and enhance its natural setting, and offers a unique combination of timeless charm and elegant modernity.

For your conference and banqueting needs, Samantha Resort & Spa offers a variety of customised event options and themed dinners that will surpass your expectations time and time again. The spacious conference facilities are equipped to accommodate up to 220 people, and when combined with the hotel's inspiring surroundings and stunning panoramic views makes it an ideal venue for any event, large or small.

For all queries or booking your stay, please contact:
Samantha Resort & Spa　
8 Baofeng Road, Wu Lingyuan, Zhangjiajie, Hunan. China
Tel: +86-744-5558888 / Fax: +86-744-5558889

Sales Email: Samantha@samantharesortspa.com

Reservation Email: reservation@samantharesortspa.com
Website: http://www.samantharesortspa.com/

Experience the beautiful world of ZhangJiajie while you stay at Samantha Resort & Spa

Zhang Jia Jie Geopark – designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, this National Forest Park is famous for its unique geology, including over 3,000 towering rock ridges over 200 metres high that dramatically rise and fall to create some of the world’s most breath-taking scenery, the majestic Wu Ling Yuan Quartz Sandstone Peak and Huang Shi Village, the world’s largest floating sightseeing platform.

Tianmen Mountain offers adventurers the ultimate reward for their endeavours when they arrive at its summit – a panoramic view of the countless peaks, glittering water and green forests of Wu Ling Yuan, an area known locally as ‘a priceless legacy handed down by nature to humankind’.

Emperor or Tianzi Mountain – visitors to this area can hike from overlook to overlook and admire the wonderful bird’s eye views of the many karst rock formations the locale has to offer. For those not feeling so energetic, the Bailong Elevator is the world’s tallest of its kind at 326 metres, and is available all through the day to take guests to and from the peaks.

Golden Whip Stream is named after the Golden Whip Crag in which it flows, The 7.5km stream zigzags its way through the valley, and there are many pools, waterfalls, rare plants and animals to admire along the way. The Golden Whip Stream is known locally as ‘the most beautiful valley in China.’

Yuan Jia Jie Nature Reserve is located in the northern part of Zhang Jia Jie National Forest Park, in the centre of the Wu Ling Yuan Scenic area. When you take the Bailong sight-seeing elevator from Shui Rao Si Men to Yuan Jia Jie, you can enjoy a bird view of all the mountains below you.

Baofeng Lake, known to many as simply the ‘Jade pool’, this shimmering mirror lake is surrounded by rolling green hills that have inspired many poems and works of art.

Dragon King Cave, the largest and oldest water-eroded cave in China, the Dragon King Cave is more than 30 kilometres long. One of the undoubted highlights is the sight of millions of stalactites gathered together to form a gigantic natural work of art.

Zhijin hall is also called the Old Courtyard, and was built by Tian Qiyuan, ancestor of a famous local family during the Qing Dynasty.

Zhang Jia Jie, Sangzhi, Yongshun, Jishou and Tongren are all tourist destinations that have been selected on a recently compiled list of the 30 top ‘Red-Revolution’ tours in China.

Zhangjiajie is not only home to some of China’s most spectacular scenery, but is also the habitat of the Tujia, Bai and Miao Minority People, whose distinctive folk culture and local customs and practices are both ancient and unique.

Fenghuang Ancient City - praised as the most beautiful town in China by famous New Zealand writer Louise Alley, Fenghuang was listed as a famous Chinese historical and cultural city by the State Council on December 7th, 2001.

Huangshi Village – Huang Shi Zhai is located in the west of the park, and is named after a story where local Huang Shi saved good friend Zhang Liang from misfortune when the latter isolated himself from society in the forest.

Maoyan River and Jiutian Drift Cave - a famous scenic area that combines natural scenery with local history and culture, the Maoyan River features the former residence of famed local He Long and the Kuzhu Great River Valley, while Jiutian Cave is a major revolutionary travel line.

Sofitel Shanghai Sheshan Oriental's Exclusive WORLD EXPO PACKAGE

2010-04-23T01:53:00.000-07:00

Life is Magnifique...

::Sofitel Shanghai Sheshan Oriental - www.Sofitel.com
3388 Sichen Road Sijing Town, Songjiang District Shanghai 201601 PR China

Tel + 86 21 3761 1633 / Fax + 86 21 3761 1635

China Rsvn Toll Free 400 813 3388

Check for attractive World Expo Package at Sofitel Shanghai

Asia Pacific's Premier MICE Event IT&CM China is a Whole New Experience

2010-04-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

Asia Pacific's Premier IT&CM (Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings) China 2010 was presented by TTG Asia Media and MP International along with Hangzhou Tourism Commission (Presenting City) from the 7th till the 9th of April 2010. It was the whole new experience and was a showcase for China to promote itself to the world and the world to China.

As the global economy continues its recovery, it is clear that the paradigm shift it's underway: the region of Asia, particularly led by China, possesses strong demand and influence in the worldwide economy. China continues to soar in popularity as a MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) destination. With businesses generated on-site, coupled with the occurrence of the highly anticipated World Expo, these attributes pave a promising future for MICE activities in China. The theme of this year's IT&CM China, "Bridging the Global MICE Business", aptly reflects China's important role as a catalyst and emerging platform for international MICE.

More than 2,000 delegates attended business appointment sessions, trade seminars, as well as social events. This year IT&CM China featured some 230 exhibiting companies and organizations, with MICE destinations such as Chinese Taiwan making the debut. Also, there was a bigger participation from popular MICE destinations such as Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Thailand and South Korea Japan, Malaysia & Taiwan. On the buyers’ front, there were some 300 international buyers from 39 countries, with first-time buyers hailing from Belarus, Brazil, Israel, Lebanon, Qatar, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Tunisia and Ukraine. More Chinese association and corporate buyers from across 13 cities were also participated this year. This was also well backed up by over 90 supporting media from around 26 countries.

Most of the hosted buyers and media were directly transferred to the Sheraton Shanghai Hongqiao Hotel and had the chance to attend three pre-show city tours.

There was a full-day excursion to the town of Zhujiajiao, where old streets, quiet lanes, dwelling houses by the water, stores, temples, gardens, and bridges create an old waterside town in the Yangtze River Delta and also there was a cruise of the Huangpu River. There was also an opportunity to visit the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center at the central People’s Square to understand the city’s foundation, development and future under the theme “Better City, Better Life.”

Apart from the business meetings and social events, there were some enlighten seminars and one among them was IT&CM China keynote Address - “Empower your people and business with the art of war” by Mr. Khoo Keng-Hor, Speaker & Author, Sterling Training & Management Consultants.

The impressive IT&CM China 2010 Opening Ceremony and Welcome Dinner, was hosted by the “Presenting City” of Hangzhou and the venue partner of Sofitel Shanghai Sheshan Oriental, and proved to be an evening of sumptuous cuisine and exquisite entertainment.

Surprise of the event was Ms. Kaiane Aldorino, the current Miss World title holder, paid a special visit to promote Vietnam as the premier destination on behalf of the Tien Giang Tourist Company, especially as the country is hosting the next Miss World competition in 2010. Accompanying Miss Aldorino on her PR trip across China was the British founder and CEO of Miss World, Ms. Julia Morley.

The full two days featured media briefings by respective tourism boards of Egypt, Japan, Hawaii, Malaysia and others like New Century Hotels & Resorts, and Millennium Hotels & Resorts.

Some of the noticeable exhibitors and Hosted Hotel Partners who showcased their travel & tourism products are:

1. Ambassador Hotel Bangkok: www.amtel.co.th
2. Bintan Lagoon Resort Singapore: www.bintanlagoon.com
3. Four Seasons Hotel Macau, Cotai Strip: www.fourseasons.com
4. Grand Millennium Beijing: www.grandmillenniumbeijing.com
5. Hotel Nikko Hong Kong: www.hotelnikko.com.hk
6. Kempinski Resort & Spa Sanya: www.kempinski.com
7. Samantha Resort & Spa, Hunan : www.samantharesortspa.com
8. Sofitel Hangzhou Xanadu Resort: www.sofitel.com
9. Tien Giang Tourist Company: Vietnam: www.tiengiangtourist.com
10. AmanFayun, Hangzhou: www.amanresorts.com
11. Macau Government Tourist Office: www.macautourism.gov.mo
12. Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau: www.meethawaii.com
13. Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau: www.tceb.or.th
14. Shanghai International Conference Organization: www.sicmo.com.cn
15. Hangzhou Tourism Commission: www.gotohz.com
16. Sheraton Shanghai: www.sheraton.com/hongqiao
17. New Century Grand Hotel Hangzhou: http://www.kaiyuanhotels.com/

Hangzhou Tourism Commission played a host to some 65 International Buyers and Media Delegates to experience the enchanting and beautiful city Hangzhou as the first-ever “Presenting City” of IT&CM China 2011. The post-show tour showcased the historic beauty of Hangzhou and its latest offerings as a modern cosmopolitan city.

Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang province is famous for its scenery, notably the West Lake, numerous historical sites, silk and tea production. The participants enjoyed a theatre performance called “The Romance of the Song Dynasty” which was extremely well presented in four parts. The full two day sightseeing tour in Hangzhou included a visit to the exclusive Amanfayun Hangzhou Resort, Lingyin Buddhist Temple and Peak Flying from Afar, National Tea Museum, Xixi Wetlands Park, a walk on Qinghefang Historic Street, the Hangzhou Oriental Culture Park, the new Kuahuqiao Boat-Shaped Site Museum, which is located in the Xianghu Tourism Resort and finally to witness the spectacular performance called “Impression of West Lake” – a very colorful light and sound show.

The host hotel at Hangzhou was four-star Friendship Hotel near the West Lake was a superb choice for all the participants to stay at and the final farewell banquet was excellently organized by the First World Hotel with an impressive presenation.

In the closing remarks, Mr. Darren Ng, the MD of TTG Asia Media and Mr. Jason Ng from MP International thanked all the participants & labeled the event a grand success. And also announced the next IT&CM China 2011 will be held at Shanghai Mart Expo on April 13-15, 2011 in Shanghai again.

Covered By: Rienhard Hohler & Mohan Gunti

Impressions of West Lake from the Gorgeous City of Hangzhou

2010-04-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

The two spectacles that you shouldn't miss in the Gorgeous city of Hangzhou, China

The Romance of the Song Dynasty, named as one of the three best permanent shows in the world, and Impressions of West Lake directed by the acclaimed Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers), are two magnificent spectacles that you shouldn't miss in the gorgeous city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province in China.

Both spectacles are hallucinating and a truly unforgettable experience for the senses. An explosion of vibrant colors displayed in beautiful costumes, outstanding scenography and lights immediately catches your eyes and leaves you in awe. The amassing music transports you to alluring places, while the dances and acrobatic choreography are as creative as superbly synchronized.

Romance of the Song Dynasty
Romance of the Song Dynasty is a spectacle that includes acrobatics, acting and dance that is based on the history, legends and culture of Hangzhou with a hint of other Asian cultures.

The show develops in six acts: "Liangzhu Lights", "Budist Monks", "Palace Dancing", "Shinning Spears and Armored Horses", "Beautiful West Lake and Legends", "Picking Tea Leaves", and "The World Meets Here".

An explosive and amazing acrobatic performance opens the show with a celebration of the Liangzhu the neolitic culture that inhabited the Changjiang (Yangtze) delta circa 3400 and 2250 BC. Immediately, this fast paced act is followed by the serenity and stillness of the Budist monks and the achievement of Nirvana (the perfect peace of the state of mind that is free from craving, anger and other afflicting inclinations and attitudes). The music and the design of shadows, lights and digital images helps to create a lasting visual impression of the monks reaching the Nirvana.

After this contrasting display of some of the cultural influences that the city of Hangzhou have received in the course of about five millenniums previous and during the advent of the Song Dynasty (960-1269 AD), twelve beautiful dancers from the Song era emerges from the public. Then, the stage becomes the court of the Song period where an amazing spectacle celebrating the King's birthday takes place. The stage is filled with palace officials, servants, entertainers, along with a King and Queen, all in colorful and magnificent traditional attire. The celebration is eclectic in terms of music, dances and costumes.

"Shinning Spears and Armored Horses" is an act performed in honor of Yue Fei, a renowned general of the Southern Song Dynasty who was killed defending the reign from the invasion of the Jin Dynasty. In this act, we see a well choreographed battle between the armies, that includes live horses running across and arrows flying to the stage, cannons and bomb blasts, and a lovers farewell.

Impression of the West Lake
Performance of "Impression West Lake", a unique metropolitan out-door performance on natural stage setting in the world.

Impressions Of The West Lake is a modern day opera conceived and directed by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou (Hero, Curse of the Golden Flower), the visionary artist behind the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The production is highlighted by music composed by the Grammy and Golden Globe Award winning artist Kitaro. This pairing of East-meets-West is a rare combination of two artists at the peak of their creative talents.

One of five grand-scale, outdoor folk musicals to be co-directed by acclaied filmmaker Zhang Yimou (the others are in Yangshuo, Lijiang, Hainan and on Mount Wuyi in Fujian), "Impression, West Lake" is a spectacular sound, light, dance and acrobatic show

First performed in late 2007, backed by a 100million RMB investment from the local government, the entire show takes place on the famed West Lake itself, with the performance stage submerged just below the surface of the water

In "Beautiful West Lake and Legends" the classical and well known Hangzhou myths of "White Snake" and "Liang Zhu" merge their stories in a brilliantly staged "West Lake" that includes water fountains, mist and drizzling drops of water falling all over the theatre like rain. After this jaw-dropping act, we get immersed in the tea culture of Meijia Wu, the Hangzhou village famous for the production of Longjing (Dragonwell) tea. A group of young ladies chant a traditional harvest season song while picking the leaves from a "field" full of tea bushes.

The final scene of the show includes several dances from different parts of Asia: a traditional Taiwanese dance, an Indian dance, a traditional Korean dance with fans and drums performed by women, and the Korean Pungak (a traditional dance performed by men in which a ribbon attached to the hat is twirled with the head while the dancer is making some acrobatic dance movements).

Admission:220RMB (tickets go on sale at 6pm; weather permitting) Hours:The performance starts at around 7.45pm year-round (admission at 7.30), and runs for 45 minutes How to get there:The viewing platform and ticket office are located beside Yue Lake, on the northwestern corner of West Lake, opposite the Mausoleum of General Yue Fei

Song Dynasty Town
Situated at southern-west part of the West Lake scenic area backing on Wuyun Mountain,Qiantang River to its south, Song Dynasty Town is the first largest and biggest theme park featuring the civilization of Song Dynasty in China.

Besides the home place of the spectacle "Romance of the Song Dynasty", the theme park is a recreation of a Song era city, full with streets with food, candy and souvenirs vendors and shops, fair games, acrobats, street performers, puppet show, a haunted house, among other amenities. It's worth to spend a whole day in the park after of before watching the show.

Impression West Lake is an open-air spectacle of light, music, dance and theatrics shown on the Yue Lake of the West Lake (just in front of Yue Fei Temple). The story is a very creative interpretation of the Hangzhou legend "White Snake". Using the lake and its surroundings as a stage and the mystical music of Kitaro, directors Wang Chaoge, Zhang Yimou, and Fan Yue have created a wonderful spectacle of lights, engineering and hundreds of actors that should not be missed if you have the opportunity to visit the breathtaking city of Hangzhou.

Since this spectacle is an impression of West Lake and one of its famous legends, you will be able to appreciate it even more if you get to know a bit of the city's history and culture before you go to the show. The spectacle is incredible and unforgettable, a feast for the senses and a snapshot of Chinese creativity and imagination. To describe the show here will spoil your experience.

The West Lake
Located in the historic center of Hangzhou, the capital of the southeastern province of Zhejiang, the Xi Hu (West Lake) is a gorgeous natural space surrounded by beautiful parks and gardens. A treasury of ancient sculptures and architectural features are enhanced by the natural setting of the peaks, serene forests and springs, dense foliage, weeping willows and a wide variety and colorful blossoms. Whatever the time of the year, the panorama is pleasing to the eye and the nuances of light shade together with the moods of the season, weather and lights and shadows of the day, present an ever-changing picture that has been described as 'intoxicating'. The Xi Hu was a favorite imperial retreat and there is no wonder why this lake have inspired many Chinese poets and romantic tales, enchanted politicians and fascinated visitors for many centuries.

Experience the Enchanting Hangzhou

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Hangzhou is renowned as “Paradise on Earth”, “Cultural State”, “Home of Silk”, “Tea Capital”, “Town of Fish and Rice”.

Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province in East China, is one of the more modern and prosperous cities in China, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Shanghai. It sits at the southern end of the Grand Canal and is one of China's seven ancient national capitals. The total area of the city covers 16,596 Km2 with a population of 6,776,400 as of December, 2008. Hangzhou is in subtropical zone with monsoon climate. It has clear distinction of four seasons. It is mild and humid, plenty of sunshine and rainfall.

Hangzhou is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. Kuahuqiao Culture within Hangzhou’s Xiaoshan District has a history of 8,000 years and Liangzhu Culture, within Yuhang District, has a history of 5000 years. Since Hangzhou was set up as a county capital in Qin Dynasty, it has a history of more than 2200 years as a city. It used to be the capital of Wuyue State (during the Five-Dynasty-Ten-State Era in Chinese history) and South Song Dynasty; that made Hangzhou one of the seven ancient capitals in China. Hangzhou was once called as Qiantang in the ancient time. In 589, the 9th year of Kaihuang Period of Sui Dynasty, Qiantang County was upgraded as Hangzhou (Hang City), which was the first time when the name “Hangzhou” came into history. In 1129, the 3rd year of Jianyan Period of South Song Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong visited Hangzhou and upgraded it as Lin’an Fu (prefecture). In 1138, the 8th year of Gaozong’s Shaoxing Period, South Song Dynasty established its capital in Lin’an and the city remained to be the national capital for over 140 years.

When Marco Polo came to Hangzhou in the 13th century, he declared it to be “the most beautiful and elegant city in the world". There is a popular saying: "Above there is heaven, below there are Hangzhou and Suzhou." Hangzhou's "heavenly" beauty attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists to its exquisite West Lake (Xi Hu) area each year to enjoy the placid lake, beautiful gardens, reflecting pools, lavish temples and lakeside teahouses.

Hangzhou began to prosper and flourish in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It was the capital of the Wu and Yue States in the 10th Century during the Five Dynasties Period, and had its political heyday in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), when it served as the capital of China. Hangzhou witnessed a commercial boom in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties, which is continuing at present.

Hangzhou is renowned for its historic relics and natural beauty. It is often known as one of the most beautiful cities in China. It has been ranked as one of the ten most scenic cities in China. Although Hangzhou has been through many recent urban developments, it still retains its historical and cultural heritage. Today, tourism remains an important factor for Hangzhou’s economy.

One of Hangzhou’s most popular sights is West Lake. The lake itself covers an area of 6 km2 (600 hectares) and includes some of Hangzhou’s most famous historic and scenic places. Adjacent to the lake is a scenic area covering over 50 square kilometres. There are many well-known historical and cultural sites in the areas around West Lake. Examples are the Lingyin Temple and Six Harmonies Pagoda. Hangzhou is also well known for its silk and tea.

A trip to Hangzhou is definitely a life time experience.

Scenic Places near West Lake:
- Jingci Temple is located just south of West Lake.
- Lingyin Temple "Soul’s Retreat" is located about 2km west of West Lake. This is believed to be the oldest Buddhist temple in the city, which has gone through numerous destruction and reconstruction cycles.
- Baochu Pagoda is located just north of West Lake on top of Precious Stone Hill
- Yue-Wang Temple "King Yue’s Temple" or Yue Fei Miao is on the north west shore of West Lake and was originally constructed in 1221 in memory of General Yue Fei, who lost his life due to political persecution.
- Leifeng Pagoda

Other Places of interest:
- The world’s largest tidal bore races up the Qiantang River through Hangzhou reaching up to 40 ft (12 m) in height.
- The Residence of Hu Xueyan located on Yuanbao Street was built in 1872 by Hu Xueyan, a native of Anhui, a very successful businessman. After restoration it was opened to the public in 2001
Liuhe Pagoda or six harmonies pagoda is located on Yuelun Hill on the north bank of Qiantang River
- Confucius Temple
- Chenghuang Temple and Pagoda Scenic Area
- Dreaming of the Tiger Spring
- The Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Hangzhou is one of the oldest Catholic churches in China, dating back 400 years to the Ming dynasty.
- Fenghuang Temple is one of the oldest mosques in China, the current construction at the intersection of Xihu Road and the Central Zhongshan Road dating back 700 years to the Yuan dynasty.
- Xixi National Wetland Park established with the aim of preserving the wetland ecological system, it covers an area of about 10km2. Fish ponds and reed beds have been restored and it is home to many types of birds. There is a temple and several historic rural houses.
- Hangzhou Botanical Garden
- Hangzhou Zoo
- Old China Street on He Fang Street (He Fang Jie), which offers various kinds of souvenirs and renowned Longjing tea
- Jade Springs (Yu Quan)

Hangzhou - The Paradise City of China

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Hangzho Travel Guide

Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang province and its political, economic and cultural center. With its famous natural beauty and cultural heritages, Hangzhou is one of China's most important tourist venues.

The City, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal, is located on the lower reaches of the Qiantang River in southeast China, a superior position in the Yangtze Delta and only 180 kilometers from Shanghai. Hangzhou has a subtropical monsoon type climate with four quite distinct seasons. However, it is neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter making it a year round destination.

The West Lake is undoubtedly the most renowned feature of Hangzhou, noted for the scenic beauty that blends naturally with many famous historical and cultural sites. In this scenic area, Solitary Hill, the Mausoleum of General Yue Fei, the Six Harmonies Pagoda and the Ling Yin Temple are probably the most frequently visited attractions. The "Ten West Lake Prospects" have been specially selected to give the visitor outstanding views of the lake, mountains and monuments.

A number of national museums can be found in Hangzhou and are representative of Chinese culture. Fine examples are the National Silk Museum and National Tea Museum. Along with the other museums in Hangzhou, they provide a fascinating insight into the history of Chinese traditional products.

One of the most important parts of traveling is tasting the local delicacies. Hangzhou dishes are noted for their elaborate preparation, sophisticated cooking and refreshing taste. Many local specialties will be sure to make your trip a cultural experience. We recommend that you try Beggar's Chicken (a chicken baked in clay), West Lake Fish in Sweet Sour Source (vinegar coated fish fresh caught from the lake), Dongpo Pork (braised pork) and Fried Shrimps with Longjing Tea, etc.

The shopping environment in Hangzhou is exciting and convenient. Travelers and tourists like to go to Qing He Fang Street. It is one of the most famous and historic streets in the city and reflects many of the features of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Shoppers will admire the antique buildings while purchasing items from a wide range of local goods such as silks, tea or maybe a silk parasol, brocade or a beautiful Hangzhou fan. These are just some of the items to be found but there are many more.At night Hangzhou has much to offer and teahouses and various kinds of pubs are both plentiful and popular. Choosing one overlooking the West Lake for a pleasant chat over a cup of tea is sure to make you feel totally relaxed and refreshed.

While much of the ancient city that had been the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty was destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion in the mid-nineteenth century, today's Hangzhou is a modern and vibrant economical center. As such it provides a base for many talented and skilled people. Never the less, thanks to its unique setting by the West Lake it continues to enjoy the many benefits of the natural surroundings that have delighted visitors for centuries. Not only was it much vaunted in his writings by the 13 century explorer, Marco Polo but the Lake and its environs have inspired poets of great renown such as Bai Juyi and Su Dongpo down the ages. There can be no doubt that visit here is certain to be a memorable one.

Hangzhou Attractions

West Lake (Xi Hu)
"Ripping water shimmering on sunny day,
Misty mountains shrouded the rain;
Plain or gaily decked out like Xizi;
West Lake is always alluring."

These are the words composed by the famous Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo (960-1127) when he compared the West Lake to Xi Zi, the most beautiful woman in ancient China. These poetic sentiments leave one in no doubt of the glory of the scenery that inspired them.

Originally a shallow sea inlet, due to the laying down of silt this 5.68 square kilometers (about 1,404 acres) of water became the famous West Lake. With an average depth of just five feet the lake comprises five distinct sections. The largest part is known as the Outer Lake and it is bounded by the North Inner Lake, Yuehu Lake, West Inner Lake and Lesser South Lake. Held in the embrace of hilly peaks on three sides, this water wonderland has been an attraction for centuries and it is small wonder that it was a favourite imperial retreat. The lake and its environs have all the elements of a traditional Chinese garden but on a grand scale. The natural setting of strangely shaped peaks, serene forests and springs, dense foliage and a myriad of blossoms especially in springtime are enhanced by a treasury of sculpture and architectural features. Whatever the season, the panorama is pleasing to the eye and the nuances of light shade together with the moods of the weather present an ever-changing picture that justifiably has been described as 'intoxicating'.

A number of specific features can be singled out as worthy of particular note. To the south of centre of the Outer Lake is a man made island known as the Island of Little Oceans, that encloses four small lakes. From here one can view the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon when at night candles are lit in stone lanterns jutting out of the water thus creating the impression of the reflections of three moons. The scene is truly magical on the night of the Autumn Moon Festival. Solitary Hill Island lies between the Outer Lake and the north Inner Lake and is an ideal spot from which to admire the vista. The nearby Two Peaks Embracing the Sky is another impressive sight, especially when crossing the lake by boat.

Near to the lake can be found the Ling Yin Temple in its woodland setting near to Fei Lai Feng (Peak Flown From Afar). Legend has it that this limestone peak flew from India where it had formed part of a holy mountain. These are of particular interest to Buddhists and those who have a love of sculpture and art. The Mausoleum of General Yue Fei is a monument to the patriot who was murdered in 1141 at the behest of his archrival Qin Hui, the Song prime minister. These buildings like others in the vicinity of the lake such as the slender Six Harmonies Pagoda add to the calm and beauty of their surroundings.

No visitor to the West Lake and Hangzhou can fail to learn something of this city's most famous products, namely silk and Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea. Since the Tang Dynasty (618-907) silk products from Hangzhou have found their way all over the world. The National Silk Museum is the first Chinese national museum to be dedicated to silk culture and is the largest of its kind in the world. A similar museum is dedicated as homage to tea. Located at the West Lake Dragon Well Tea Plantation, the National Tea Museum provides a fascinating insight into the history and production of Chinese tea. Often referred to as the 'wonders of West Lake' Longjing (Dragon Well) tea and Hupao (Running Tiger) Fountain is each worthy of the attention of the visitor.

Another natural spectacle to be found here is the tidal bore of the Qiantang River that has enthralled people for centuries. Overlooking the river estuary stands the 13 storey high Six Harmonies Pagoda. Dating from 970 and built on the site of an earlier pagoda that served as a lighthouse, the name refers to the six codes of Buddhism i.e. harmony of the body, speech and thought and the renunciation of personal pleasure, opinions and wealth. A climb to the top of the pagoda carries the reward of an impressive view over the river.

Crossing the river is the Qiantang River Bridge. This is the first two-tier bridge to have been designed and built by Chinese engineers in modern times. The other great feat of much earlier engineering is the Grand Canal. Linking Hangzhou in the south with Beijing in the north, this is the longest man-made waterway in China and surpasses both the Suez and Panama canals.

We hope that this introduction to the delights of the area surrounding the West Lake will tempt you to visit them for yourself. You can be assured that the splendid and diverse landscape will remain long in your memory as you call to mind tour sites to be found south of the Yangtze River.

Admission Fee: Free

Ling Yin Temple (Temple of Soul's Retreat) & Flying Peak
You will find Ling Yin Temple in a long, narrow valley between Fei Lai Feng (Peak flown from Afar) and North Peak to the northwest of the West Lake at Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province. The temple is without doubt a premier showpiece in the West Lake environs and is notable also as one of the ten most famous Buddhist temples of China. In 1961 the temple was listed for protection as a key provincial historical and cultural site and is considered a leading centre for research relative to Chinese Buddhist culture.

The presence of a temple on this site can be traced back to the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317 - 420AD) when, according to local legend, Huili an Indian monk came to the area where he was inspired by the spiritual nature of the scenery to be found here. To his mind this had to be a dwelling of the Immortals and so he gave the temple a name "Ling Yin (Temple of the Soul's Retreat). The Chinese name is translated into English as either "Temple of the Soul's Retreat' or 'Temple of Inspired Seclusion' for the setting has a quiet and beautiful grandeur that encourages a feeling of peace and for contemplation.

The temple was to gain in importance during the Five Dynasties (907-960 AD) when the King of the Wu Yue State initiated a large-scale development of the temple as a sign of his devotion to Buddha. In its heyday, the temple comprised nine buildings, eighteen pavilions, seventy-seven palaces and halls with over thirteen hundred rooms providing accommodation for around three thousand monks. A monastery on this scale is difficult to imagine and needless to say over the centuries it has been subjected to many changes of fortune due to wars, religious repression and other calamities. The main temple that can be seen today is a result of the restoration that was carried out in 1974 following the ten-year Chinese Cultural Revolution.

Upon entering the first hall of the temple, you will see a tablet inscribed with words penned by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). He was inspired by the sight of the temple shrouded in mist amongst the trees that surround it and gave it the title 'Cloud Forest Buddhist Temple'. This first great hall, with its double eaves and some sixty feet in height, is the 'Hall of the Heavenly Kings.' Upon the door is a couplet that says 'Let us sit and wait upon the threshold, where we shall see another peak flying from afar. Let us welcome spring with a smile as the snow melts and the brook starts to flow once more.'

Upon entering the Hall your eyes will be drawn to the delicately painted ceiling decorated with phoenixes and dragons. Images of the Four Heavenly Kings stand upon either side of the Maitreya, a laughing Buddha with a huge belly who is said to be able to 'endure all intolerance and laugh at every laughable person in the world,' as he welcomes those who enter the hall. On passing through this hall and crossing the courtyard beyond, you then enter the Da Xiong Bao Dian. This is the Hall of the Great Hero. It is seven rooms wide, five rooms deep and single storey construction. The double heaved roof soars to a pinnacle of 33.6 meters (110 feet) making it probably the highest single storey buildings to be found in China. The hall houses a statue of Sakyamuni carved from 24 sections of camphor wood with an overall height of 24.8 meters (82 feet). This is one of the largest wooden statues in China and is covered with gold leaf. The statue is flanked on either side by twenty saints. These are said to be protectors of justice. Twelve disciples who serve as guards are seated along the rear wall. The figures are a very imposing and impressionable sight to behold.

Continuing through the temple complex, you will come in turn to the Pharmaceutical Master Hall, Great Mercy Hall and the Cool Spring Pavilion. This latter pavilion was erected a thousand years ago during the Tang Dynasty. It is very pleasant place to linger during the heat of summer when the softly murmuring spring has a cooling effect upon its surroundings.

The Temple contains an important collection of Buddhist literature together with many other treasures. As a consequence it is a great centre of information for those who wish to study aspects of Chinese Buddhism in detail. The palaces, pavilions and halls together with their many figures of Buddhist deities represent in total a splendid and unique collection of architectural and artistic cultural relics. The various buildings and pagodas date from the Southern Song, Ming and Tang Dynasties. Among the ancient writings are scriptures written on pattra leaves, the Diamond Sutra copied by Dong Qichang in the Ming Dynasty and a wood cut edition published during the Qing Dynasty.

To add a final memorable touch to your visit, it is very pleasant to dine at the Ling Yin Vegetarian Restaurant located near to the Temple. The vegetarian dishes on offer are typical of the Chinese culinary style and it is little wonder that in such a setting the excellent repast is frequently regarded as 'food for the gods'.

Rock-carved Buddha sculptures at Feilai Feng (fly-over peak). These sculptures have more than 1000 years of history but sadly many of them are damaged during culture revolution.

In the caves on the Feilai Hill (Flying Peak), there are some over 300 Buddhist stone carvings with a long history back to the Five Dynasties, the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). These grandeur carvings have high artistic value. With solemn mountains and tall trees circling the temple, the Lingyin Temple is a spectacular site with lots of cultural relics.

Admission Fee: CNY 30 (Ling Yin Temple); CNY 35 (Fei Lai Feng)

Six Harmonies Pagoda (Liuhe Pagoda)
The Six Harmonies Pagoda is located on Yuelun Hill overlooking the Qiantang River, and south of West Lake (Xi Hu) and is one of the true masterpieces of ancient Chinese architectures. Originally the pagoda was built during the Northern Song Dynasty (386-581) by the ruler of the Wuyue State, a part of which became Zhejiang Province. The name 'Liuhe' comes from the six Buddhist ordinances and it is said that the reason for building this pagoda is to calm the tidal waters of the Qiantang River, and as a navigational aid. However, the pagoda was completely destroyed during a battle in the year 1121.

The current pagoda was constructed of wood and brick during the Southern Song Dynasty (420-589), and subsequently, during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasties (1644 -1911), additional exterior eaves were added to the pagoda. It is octagonal in shape and some 59.89 meters (196 feet) in height, it also has the appearance of being a thirteen-story structure, though it only has seven interior stories. There is a spiral staircase leading to the top floor and upon each of the seven ceilings are carved and painted figures including animals, flowers, birds and characters. Each story of the pagoda consists of four elements, the exterior walls, a zigzagged corridor, the interior walls and a small chamber. Viewed from outside, the pagoda appears to be layered-bright on the upper surface and dark underneath. That is a harmonious alternation of light and shade.

Upon ascending the pagoda, visitors will have a spectacular view of the Qiantang River Bridge spanning the surging tides of the Qiantang River. Near by the Six Harmonies Pagoda an exhibition center detailing ancient pagodas in China was set up in recently upon Yuelun Hill. So visitors can visit the Six Harmonies Pagoda and then learn of the various ancient pagodas architectural styles to be found within China.

Admission Fee: CNY 30 (including CNY 10 for pagoda climbing)

Xixi National Wetland Park
Situated in the western part of Hangzhou, less than 5km from West Lake, Xixi National Wetland Park is a rare urban wetland. With rich ecological resources, simple natural landscape and profound culture, Xixi is known as one of the Three "Xi's" along with Xihu (West Lake) and Xiling (the Seal Engravers' Society). It is the first and only wetland park in China combining urban life, farming and culture. Xixi has not only broad open views, but also a variety of water views. Warm and humid, the area enjoys a comfortable climate featuring abundant precipitation and four distinct seasons.

Three Causeway and Ten Sights
The natural and human landscape in Xixi are grouped into three causeways and ten sights: The three causeways are Causeway Fu, Causeway Lu and Causeway Shou, as in Chinese, the three words fu, lu and shou carry the meaning of fortune, prosperity and longevity. Causeway Fu is 2,300m long and 7m wide, stretching through the park from south to north. Across the bank span six bridges with the Chinese character "fu". Causeway Lu is 1,600m long and 7m wide, stretching through the core reserve area from west to east. It connects the ecological arboretum with the major scientific research project of the wetland and serves as an ecological bank. With a total length of 3,600m and a width of 4.5m, Causeway Shou is the longest of the three, stretching from south to north. Crisscrossing waterways and ancient trees form an ecological landscape.

The ten sights are Qiuxue Hut, the best scenery of Xixi and the sight that can be reached by boat only; Water Mirroring Red Persimmons; Exhibition of Dragon Boat Culture; Lotus Flower Eco-Reserve Area, the main area for bird-watching; Charm of Hong's Villa, the living place of the Hongs, which fostered a group of celebrities; Boat-rowing in the Moonlight, Fog and Water Fishing Village, a tourist center when one can enjoy local delicacies; Xixi Plum Villa, home to more plum trees and famed for its plum blossoms; Gao's Villa, and Music Appreciation in Hezhu.

Aesthetic Features of Xixi
Experts claim Xixi has four distinct aesthetic features: coldness, wildness, simplicity and elegance. Coldness suggests quietude as it is a tranquil place in a noisy city; wildness connotes nature as this is a pure land in human society; simplicity means plainness or the philosophy of 'back to nature' and elegance relates to the gathering of literary figures and artists. Thanks to its picturesque waterways and rural landscapes, Xixi has always been an ideal location for artists and writers to produce poems, calligraphy, paintings and epigraphy.

Dragon Boat Contest
It is said that Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795) saw a dragon boat race when he came to visit southern China. With great joy, he called it the Dragon Boat Contest. In 2008, the dragon boat contest in Wuchang was included in the extended catalog of the first group of national intangible cultural heritage as a component of traditional Dragon Boat Festival. Tourists can watch the dragon boat contest and experience the 5,000 year old dragon boat culture through the exhibition.

Tips:
1. As an ecological park, Xixi can only accept 3,000 tourists in a single day. Reservation is advised.
2. The land ways are complex and unsignposted. It's easy to get lost. Be careful.

Admission Fee: CNY80; Electric Boat Fee: CNY60; CNY100/hour

Mausoleum of General Yue Fei
Yue Fei (1103 - 1141) came from Tangyin in Xiangzhou of today's Henan Province. He was a great general famous for wars against the Jin Dynasty (1115 - 1234) in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279). After he joined the army, he and his troops continuously won wars against the Jin. However, after Yue and his army had recovered most of the lost territory, Emperor Gaozong (1107 - 1187) embraced the evil plot of Qin Kuai (1090 - 1155, Prime Minister of the Song Dynasty) and surrendered to the Jin. As a result, Yue Fei was falsely accused and later secretly killed in jail. A few years later, the wrong was put right when Emperor Xiao Zong (1163 - 1189) came to power. The Mausoleum of General Yue Fei was built in memory of this great hero. Yue Fei is always considered as a national hero.

The Mausoleum of General Yue Fei has been demolished and renovated several times. The existing one was rebuilt in 1715 in the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) and comprehensively repaired in 1979.

Occupying an area of four acres, the Mausoleum of General Yue Fei is located at the southern foot of Qixia Hill near the West Lake. Entering the gate with double eaves, a patio with towering trees on both sides is found. The Shrine of Remembrance, the main hall, is right in the center. A sculpture of general Yue is set in the middle of the hall. He is in a colorful embroidered round cushion cover. Looking solemn and mighty, he has a sword in his hand and looks as if he is ready to protect his country. Over the sculpture is tablet in the original handwriting of Yue Fei, which states returning our territory and keeping it integrated. At the back of the hall are large pictures depicting Yue Fei's life stories. On the floor of the hall is a picture depicting 373 cranes. These cranes are the symbols of his integrity and faithful mind.

To the west of the main hall is a yard. There are two corridors exhibiting poems written to commend Yue Fei. Striding over the bridge in the middle of the yard, there are the tombs of Yue Fei and his son's. Yue Fei's tomb is right in the center, and to its left is the tomb of his son Yue Yun who had been a competent assistant of his father on the battlefields. Stone horses, tigers, and sheep of the Ming Dynasty (1386 - 1644) decorate both sides of the enclosure. This tomb, which had been destroyed several times, was rebuilt and possesses the features of the Song Dynasty. Facing the tomb are four iron sculptures, including Qin Kuai the chief plotter, in kneeling position. Concerning these sculptures, people wanted them to atone for their crime forever.

Admission Fee: CNY25

Grand Canal
The Grand Canal, 1,764 km (about 1200 miles) in length, is the longest man-made waterway as well as being the greatest in ancient China, far surpassing the next two grand canals of the world: the Suez and Panama Canals. Running from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province in the south to Beijing in the north of China and connecting different river systems, the Grand Canal contributed greatly to ensure that the Chinese primary economy thrived in past dynasties. Now more than 2000 years old, some parts of the canal are still in use, mainly functioning as a water-diversion conduit.

The canal we see today was built section by section in different areas and dynasties before it was linked together by the Sui Dynasty (581-618). In 604 AD, Emperor Yangdi of the Sui Dynasty toured Luoyang (now the city in Henan Province). The following year, he moved the capital to Luoyang and ordered a large-scale expansion of the Grand Canal. The primitive building techniques stretched the project over six years. Approximately half the peasant builders (about 3,000,000) died of hard labor and hunger before it was finished. This project was thought to have been wasteful of manpower and money, which resulted in the downfall of the Sui Dynasty.

As a major transportation hinge in past dynasties, the Grand Canal interconnected the Yangtze, Yellow, Huaihe, Haihe, and Qiantang Rivers and flowed through Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang with Hangzhou at its southernmost end. The Grand Canal, which joined the river systems from different directions, offered much facility to transport foods and goods from south to north in past times. Just as importantly, it greatly improved the administration and defense of China as a whole and strengthened economic and cultural intercourse between north and south.

Boating on the old Chinese Canal is one of the best ways to get a panoramic view of the landscape of typical river towns in southern China, which include ancient dwellings, stone bridges of traditional designs and historical relics. Experiencing some of the local customs offers much delight to travelers. Tourists also have an opportunity to enjoy good food while appreciating the surrounding scenery.

Like the Great Wall, the Grand Canal is noted as one of the most magnificent and wondrous constructions in ancient China, which can really offer one a profound look into China's fascinating, historical past.

Wuzhen
Chinese people say that unless you visit the Great Wall then you haven't been to China. For any visit south of the Yangtze River; one place not to be missed is the town of Wuzhen.

Located in the centre of the six ancient towns south of Yangtze River, 17 kilometers (10.56 miles) north of the city of Tongxiang, Wuzhen displays its two-thousand-year history in its ancient stone bridges floating on mild water, its stone pathways between the mottled walls and its delicate wood carvings. Also, setting it apart from other towns, it gives a unique experience through its profound cultural background.

It is said that people have lived in Wuzhen for 7000 years and over time it has produced a galaxy of talents. Mao Dun, an outstanding modern Chinese writer, was born here and his masterpiece, 'The Lin's Shop', describes vividly the life of Wuzhen. In 1991, Wuzhen was authorized as the Provincial Ancient Town of History and Culture, so ranking first among the six ancient towns south of the Yangtze River.

Wuzhen's uniqueness lies in its layout, being 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) long and divided into six districts. These are: Traditional Workshops District, Traditional Local-Styled Dwelling Houses District, Traditional Culture District, Traditional Food and Beverage District, Traditional Shops and Stores District, and Water Township Customs and Life District. Wandering along the east-west-east circuit created by these six districts, you will enjoy the atmosphere of the traditional cultures and the original ancient features of the town that have been preserved intact.

Former Residence of Mao Dun
Originally built in the central 19th century covering a total area of 650 square meters (7020 sq. ft), the former residence of Mao Dun, a well-known Chinese revolutionary writer, was the Mao family home for many generations and witnessed the growth of this great revolutionist and writer. In 1984, the former residence of Mao Dun was renovated and extended to cover a total area of 1,731.5 square meters (18,700 sq. ft) - it opened to the public one year later. In 1988, it was listed as one of the Key State Preserved Relic Units and in 1994 was renamed the Mao Dun Museum of the City of Tongxiang. The house has three exhibition areas: 'Wuzhen, the Hometown of Mao Dun', 'the Way of Mao Dun', and 'the Former Residence of Mao Dun (renovated)'. The present Mao Dun Museum can be found to the east of the residence, which used to be Lizhi Shuyuan (Aspiration Academy) where Mao Dun spent his early school years.

Fanglu Pavilion (Pavilion of Visits to Lu)
Enjoying a well-deserved reputation as the best teahouse in Wuzhen, the pavilion obtained its name from an accidental meeting between Lu Tong, the owner, and Lu Yu, the Patron Saint of Tea in Tang Dynasty (618-907). It is said that Lu Yu once mistakenly ate some poisonous leaves and was rescued by Lu Tong, who happened to collect tea leaves at that time. In return, Lu Yun taught Lu Tong knowledge of tea and tea-making skills, which resulted in the prosperity of Lu Tong's teahouse. Suggested by one guest, Lu Tong changed the house's name to Pavilion of Visits to Lu, to memorize this respectable scholar. Located to the south of Ying Bridge and backing onto the city river, the teahouse enjoys a broad view of Guanqian Street and provides visitors with pleasant relaxation.

Bridge in Bridge
One may be amazed at the extraordinary scene of Bridge in Bridge created by two ancient bridges, one of which is Tongji Bridge crossing the river from east to west and the other is called Renji Bridge running from south to north and joining the former at one end. Either of two bridges can be seen through the arch of the other, hence the name. Having been rebuilt five times, Tongji Bridge is a 28.4-meter-long (93.1ft) and 3.5-meters-wide (11.4ft) one-curvature arch bridge, with a span of 11.8 meters (38.7ft). Renji Bridge, which has also experienced historical repairs, has a length of 22.6 meters (74.1ft), a width of 2.8 meters (9.2ft) and a span of 8.5 meters (27.9ft).

You may enjoy the demonstration in the traditional workshops district of such famous traditional crafts as the printing and dyeing of blue printed fabrics, the primitive technique of cloth shoes and tobacco-planning, and operate the machines yourself to get an idea of how the original work was carried out over 200 years ago. You may also walk amongst the picturesque moss-covered streets and walls, the houses decorated with exquisitely-carved wooden and stone doors and windows, and the leisurely and quiet life of the local people in the district of traditional local-styled dwelling houses. Sink into the atmosphere of traditional culture, have a cup of chrysanthemum tea and relax by bargaining on various kinds of handicrafts and local products. At dusk when the street lamps give off their dim lights in the thousand-year-old lanes, you will feel your every step echoing with the history of this ancient and attractive town of Wuzhen.

Transportation

Wuzhen provides visitors with a very convenient transport. Tour buses can be taken from Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Ningbo every day.
From Shanghai: CNY 110 per person (return tickets, admission)
CNY 128 per person (return tickets, admission, tourist guide service)
From Hangzhou: CNY 98 per person (return tickets, admission)
From Suzhou: CNY 150 per person (return tickets, admission, tourist guide service,
Insurance)
Admission Fee: CNY 100 for Dongzha Scenic Area
CNY 120 for Xizha Scenic Area
CNY 150 for Combination Ticket;
Excluding the boat ticket of CNY 80 per person

Thousand Islets Lake (Qian Dao Lake)
Did you ever want to escape from the bustling metropolis? Come to Thousand Islets Lake and experience something special.

With 81% of the area covered in forests, Thousand Islets Lake (Qian Dao Lake) is a pure lake with clean, fresh air. It is a young lake formed in 1959 as a result of the construction of New Anjiang Hydroelectric Power Station. It is a beautiful lake with 1078 islets showing different views in different seasons. It is a rich lake abounding with fish and surrounded by trees, tea, mulberry (the food of the silkworm) and other fruit trees. Qian Dao Lake is also a delightful lake with many activities including enjoying the natural scenery and local culture, observing wild animals and taking part in many exciting activities.

Thousand Islets Lake (Qian Dao Lake) lies in Chun'an County, about 150 km (93 miles) west of Hangzhou City and is 140 km (87 miles) southeast of Mt. Huangshan. It is a resplendent pearl in the classical golden route of Hangzhou-Thousand Islets Lake-Mt. Huangshan and has become popular all over the world.

Qian Dao Lake is noted for its verdurous mountains, crystal clear water, exotic caves and strange stones. Nongfu (farmer) Spring Water, a famous mineral water brand, comes from Qiandao Lake. The scenic area can be divided into six sections on the basis of geographical location. They are: Southeast Lake District (the first to be developed), Central Lake District (combining several spots that should not be missed), Southwest Lake District, Northeast Lake District, Northwest Lake District and Fuxi Stone Forest (the first stone forest in East China), each possessing their own unique and striking landscapes.

In Southeast Lake District can be found Tianchi (heaven pool), a quarry site dating from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), Xianshan (admiration mountain) Island, Guihua (sweet osmanthus) Island and Mishan (honey mountain) Island (The story of 'One boy is a boy, two boys half a boy, three boys no boy' originated here). In Central Lake District, there are Qiandao Lake Fishing Village, Meifeng (plum peak) Island, Wulong (five dragons) Scenic Area and the Animal Interest Section. On Meifeng Island, you can command views from a great height, experience grass-skiing, and boat down the water. Wulong Scenic Area is made up of Lock Island, Bird Island, Zhenqu (true delight) Garden and Qishi (strange stone) Island connected by several bridges. Lock Island is a world of locks, including happiness lock, wisdom lock, health lock and carp lock. The first Lock Museum in China was built here housing Safety Lock, the biggest lock in Guinness World Records. In the Animal Interest Section, peacocks, snakes, monkeys and ostriches can be seen. You can enjoy yourself by watching the animals performing, feeding them, playing with them and taking photos of them.

The best time to visit Qiandao Lake is in autumn and winter, when there is less rainfall. Fine weather, cool and fresh air and clear water are really enjoyable. Do sample the distinctively cooked seafood and some local food here. Take home souvenirs like inkstones, hemp embroideries and products made of pearls.

Thousand Islets Lake is currently the largest forest park in China. It has been awarded many titles and received favorable comments from tourists both at home and abroad. So, why not come and see for yourself!

Admission Fee: CNY 120 from March 1 to November 30 and CNY 100 from December 1 to the end of next February

China National Silk Museum
Situated at the southern bank of the West Lake, in Hangzhou City of Zhejiang Province, China National Silk Museum is the first state-level professional silk museum in China as well as the biggest silk museum throughout the world. It opened to the public in 1992 and since 2004 people can visit it for free.

The museum owns eight exhibition halls, including: the Preface Hall, Relics Hall, Folk-custom Hall, Dyeing and Weaving Hall and Modern Achievements Hall.

The Preface Hall introduces the 5000-year-long history of Chinese silk culture. China is the earliest country that engaged in sericulture, filature and making clothes with silk. This hall provides strong evidence for this fact and shows the history of the Silk Road through which silk was spread abroad.

Relics Hall presents several preserved relics, which cover almost every dynasty of ancient China, and a number of pictures to explain Chinese traditional silk culture. These relics are from various districts of China, including those excavated along the Silk Road, on the grassland of Northern China, and in the south of China. It should be mentioned that tourists can appreciate a piece of fragmentary brocade that dates back 5,630 years. That is the earliest silk that has ever been discovered.

Folk-custom Hall displays some prominent products created by outstanding weavers. Dyeing and Weaving Hall tells people how to dye and weave silk and the scientific theory of it. There are also weavers showing the whole process. Tourists are welcome to participate in the activity and do it themselves. Modern Achievements Hall displays the achievements of New China in silk production, silk research and silk trade and so on.

China National Silk Museum is a museum equipped with modern facilities and is dedicated to providing convenience for tourists. It offers free guide, free audio guide, free pamphlets on silk information, and even free wheelchairs for the disabled. People can also choose their favorite silk goods in the museum shop and relax in the teahouse.

Admission Fee: Free

Hangzhou National Tea Museum
Surrounded by clusters of tea farms and boasting five exhibition halls, the museum vividly depicts the evolution of Chinese tea over a span of thousands of years and the colorful tea culture. The Chinese Tea Evolution Hall showcased the production process and evolution of Chinese tea and a variety of domestic and imported tea. The Teaware Hall depicts the evolution of Chinese teaware and deliberates on the planting, making and tasting of tea. The Tea Customs Hall is devoted bring to you the kaleidoscopic tea customs and etiquettes of Yun Yan , Sichuan, Tibet, Fujian, Guang Dong provinces and of the Ming and Qing Period.

The exhibition center is divided into six tea-tasting sessions where visitors can have taste teas of various flavor and taste while enjoying tea making ceremonies. The exquisite and quintessential buildings against the backdrop of gardens alternating with tea farms make the visitors totally immersed in this strong tea culture. China's only museum dedicated to tea.

Hefang Old Street
Hefang Street is a well-designed old pedestrian street, which is the epitome of old Hangzhou. The original street has been ruined and it recently takes on a completely new look after lager-scale of restoration. Shops selling art crafts, souvenirs, silk, teahouses, and restaurants line on both sides of the street. Many famous century-old shops including Hu Qing Yu Tang, Wang Xingji Fans can be found along the street.

Hefang Street is otherwise known as the Snack Street for the diverse food it serves. The street clearly concentrates food from all around the country, while at some time highlighting the local flavors.

No doubt Hangzhou is also known as the paradise city of China.

Tony Fernandes named Officier of the Legion d’ Honneur by the Government of France

2010-04-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes (left), who democratized air travel in the ASEAN region, receives from Mr. Dominique Bussereau, Secretary of State for Transport of France, a medal signifying his rank of Officier of the Legion d’ Honneur of France.

Tony Fernandes named Officier of the Legion d’ Honneur
Recognized by French gov’t for economic contributions

AirAsia Group CEO Dato’ Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes was today conferred the title of Officier of the Legion d’ Honneur by the government of France for his outstanding contributions to the aviation industry.

Mr. Dominique Bussereau, Secretary of State for Transport of France, conferred the title on Tony in a ceremony held in Paris and attended by some of the biggest names in European business.

Officier of the Legion d’ Honneur is the highest rank of honor that the government of France can award to a non-French citizen. The Legion d’ Honneur was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 to recognize outstanding service to France.

AirAsia has contributed largely to the French and European economies by supporting the European-owned and Toulouse-based Airbus, an EADS company. AirAsia has placed firm orders of Airbus aircraft including 175 A320, 25 A330 and 10 A350 aircraft. AirAsia also has an option to purchase 50 more A320 and five more A350 aircraft.

AirAsia uses Airbus aircraft extensively for its flights. It has an all-Airbus fleet for its Malaysia-based operations. Its Thailand- and Indonesia-based operations will have all-Airbus fleets within this year.

AirAsia, which has hubs in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, has democratized travel in the ASEAN region. It connects all 10 ASEAN capitals and more cities with “sky bridges”, linking and benefiting countless communities. By promoting travel in the region through low fares, an extensive network of destinations and great flight frequencies, it has helped the region achieve economic growth.

Tony Fernandes co-founded AirAsia and has led the airline in its transformation from a loss-making Malaysian airline into the ASEAN airline that it is now. AirAsia, Asia’s leading and largest low-cost carrier, also connects the ASEAN region with China, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Australia. Through its low-cost long-haul affiliate AirAsia X, it connects the region with more destinations in Asia (China, Taiwan and soon India), Australia and Europe (through the United Kingdom).

Under the leadership of Fernandes, in only eight years, AirAsia grew its fleet from two aircraft to 92, its staff from 250 to 7,000, and its routes from one to more than 132. It has to date flown more than 85 million guests.

About AirAsia and AirAsia X
AirAsia, the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia, services the most extensive network with approximately 132 routes covering around 70 destinations. Within 8 years of operations, AirAsia has carried more than 85 million guests and grown its fleet from just two aircraft to approximately 90. The airline today is proud to be a truly Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) airline with established operations based in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, servicing a network stretching across all Asean countries, China, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Australia. This is further complemented by AirAsia X, its low-cost long-haul affiliate carrier that currently flies to destinations in China, Australia, Taipei and the UK. AirAsia is the regional carrier with the largest destination network and highest flight frequencies. AirAsia was named the 2009 World’s Best Low Cost Airline in the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax.

For more information, please visit http://www.airasia.com/

Vietnam's only Travel Trade Event - International Travel Expo in Ho Chi Minh City

2010-04-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

30 September - 2 October 2010 Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC) - Phu My Hung

An invitation to a world of heritage sites. A world of splendid natural landscapes, vibrant cultures, friendly people and fabulous cuisines. A world of quality hotels, good travel facilities and great value for money. A world of matchless travel experiences. A world of authentic tourism promises and exciting business potential

The Mekong trio of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos both jointly as well as individually are planning and embarking on dynamic strategies and solutions, to develop and promote tourism growth. With the ambitious Tourism Master Plans, policies and vision backed by robust investment initiatives in infrastructure and facilities, tourism development and growth in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam is entering a new era.

International Travel Expo at Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC 2010) provides you the platform to exchange growing business for inbound and outbound travel opportunities in Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam.

Based on the significant growth and success since 2005, ITE HCMC was conferred the status and recognition of being Vietnam's only Travel Trade Event by Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2008. With support from the governments of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos ITE HCMC is now the largest travel event in Vietnam.

ITE HCMC an annual show since 2005, is Vietnam’s largest travel event serving one of the key travel and tourism market in the region. It is the only travel trade platform that offers an opportunity for tourism businesses in ASEAN countries to meet selected buyers from around the world. In addition to suppliers of diverse travel products in the three countries ITE HCMC also brings regional tourism operators and NTO’s to promote out bound travel in the growing Vietnam market.

It is also an ideal platform for international buyers to gather the latest information on tourism offerings, establish new business contacts and learn about the latest ASEAN tourism trends and developments when Vietnam will be the Chairman of ASEAN. Specially, this is a common promotional channel for Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam – 3 Countries One Destination (3CODe) to promote itself.

A visit to ITE HCMC also offers all participants a golden opportunity to uncover the hidden charms within Vietnam as well as the opportunity to visit Cambodia and Laos through pre and post tour arrangements. ITE HCMC 2010 will be held from September 30th to October 2nd, 2010 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

This is an opportunity for representatives from the travel and tourism industry (including national tourism promotion organizations, tour operates, airlines, hotels, tour operators etc.) across the world to participate in ITE HCMC 2010.

For more information please call Mr. Cheah Wai Hong at +84 838 206 131 or email at WaiHong.Cheah@iirx.vn
International exhibitors contact Ms Evylene Chua at +65 6517 6895 or email at evylene.chua@iirx.com.sg
Vietnam exhibitors contact Mr Pham Huy Hoai at +84 903 870 917 or email at huyhoai.pham@iirx.vn

For more info about ITE HCMC 2010, please visit http://www.itehcmc.com/

Mekong Tourism Forum 2010 Set for Siem Reap,Cambodia

2010-03-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

"New Roads, New Opportunities"
Mekong Tourism Forum Set for Siem Reap, May 7-8, 2010

This year's Mekong Tourism Forum will be held on May 7-8 the Angkor Century Resort and Spa, near to Angkor Wat the awe-inspiring Cambodian UNESCO Heritage Site.

The Mekong Tourism Forum provides a cooperative platform for stakeholders in the tourism industry to discuss development, marketing and promotion of travel to, from and within the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). It presents an inclusive, interactive and results-oriented opportunity to encourage public and private sector participation in representing the GMS as a single destination.

"We are looking forward to hosting this influential networking gathering," said Dr Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism for Cambodia. "It will mark the progress of a pivotal business and travel industry forum initiated by the Asian Development Bank 14 years ago," he said.

The theme of the Mekong Tourism Forum 2010 is, "New Roads, New Opportunities". Business and government sector leaders will assess the latest tourism developments and investment opportunities along the regional road networks linking Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the southern China provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi.

Across the Mekong region, new areas with previously minor or no tourism infrastructure are now opening up along three main corridors: the southern coastal road from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam via Cambodia; the central east-west route linking Northeast Thailand to southern Laos and Hue in central Vietnam; and the north-south Kunming-Bangkok road through northern Laos.

"Today villages and towns along the way are benefiting from the arrival of tourists where there were none before," said Mason Florence, Executive Director of the Bangkok-based Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office. "At the Mekong Tourism Forum we will discuss investment prospects and hear from tourism operators who are already taking advantage of opportunities along the new overland corridors."

During the forum at the Angkor Century Resort & Spa, panel discussions will be held on "Pioneering Mekong Tourism Products," "The Path to Community-based Tourism," "How Sustainable Tourism Can Drive Profit" and "The Road Ahead".

The Mekong Tourism Forum works to achieve three main objectives:
- To raise the profile of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) as a single tourist destination.
- To provide an industry-wide platform for the public and private sectors to address sub-regional tourism issues.
- To expand marketing networks and opportunities for promoting the GMS and its stakeholders, pool collective resources and create intra-industry synergy.

To help attract small and medium-sized tourism entrepreneurs and a diverse range of travel professionals, the MTCO, in conjunction with Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism, has reduced the cost of attending the Mekong Tourism Forum 2010 to a nominal US$50 for the two-day event and US$30 for members of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). The registration fee includes access to all forum sessions, including two lunches and two dinners.

Financial support for MTF 2010 is being provided by the Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia, the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office and the USAID-funded ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement project. Other travel industry partners are providing support in-kind.

The Mekong Tourism Forum 2010 is open to all. Registration can be done online at www.mekongtourismforum.org

For further information email to: info@mekongtourismforum.org or call the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office at: (+66) 2-612-4150.

IT&CM China 2010 in Shanghai features Hangzhou

2010-03-25T04:40:00.000-07:00

The theme of this year’s Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings (IT&CM) China, ‘Bridging the Global MICE Business’, aptly reflects China’s important role as a catalyst and emerging platform for international MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions).

Scheduled to be held from 7 to 9 April at the Shanghai Mart Expo, IT&CM China 2010 has confirmed the participation of more Chinese buyers and sellers this year, including many first-time participants. They include trade associations, such as the China Condiment Industry Association, Human Resources Association for Foreign and Chinese Enterprises, Beijing, National Architecture Institute of China, and the Macao Convention & Exhibition Association. These reputable bodies have chosen to source for services at IT&CM China 2010 to complement their meetings and conventions program.

Also attending for the first time is D&S Media Group - Beijing D&S Consulting Co., Ltd, one of the top 10 Chinese PR agencies with branches in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. Its professional service team has nearly 300 people in public relations, advertising, events, online marketing and sports marketing areas. Wu Fan, who will attend as a hosted buyer said, "We organise over 30 incentive trips and activities to both local and international destinations every year. I look forward to sourcing for new and innovative deals at IT&CM China 2010. This will add value to our planning."

More than 300 international and Chinese buyers are expected to attend, with Chinese buyers coming from 13 cities across China, representing a mix of corporate companies, travel agents and trade associations.

IT&CM China has also won over the local and international National Tourism Organisations (NTOs), which translate to a larger participation at this upcoming fourth edition. Darren Ng, Managing Director of TTG Asia Media, commented, "It is gratifying to see more active participation from both the international and Chinese exhibitors. The total number of sellers has increased this year to 250 companies and organisations, up 19 per cent from last year. It is evident that IT&CM China has become the platform of choice for generating new business leads and providing educational and networking opportunities in China."

IT&CM China 2010 will offer a series of fresh and exciting business, networking and learning opportunities for an expected 2,000 participants. Apart from business meetings, social functions and special events, the program will include pre-show city tours of host city Shanghai, an opening ceremony & welcome dinner plus the hosted networking luncheons of the three-day event.

But it is up to Hangzhou to debut as ‘Presenting City’ and be featured accordingly.

As the ‘Presenting City’ for IT&CM China 2010, Hangzhou will play host to international buyers and media as they tour the city after the tradeshow. The post-show tour will showcase the historic beauty of Hangzhou, already described by Marco Polo in the 13th century, and its latest offerings as a modern cosmopolitan city. Besides the post-show tour, the ambitious Hangzhou Tourism Commission will co-sponsor the Opening Ceremony & Welcome Dinner for IT&CM China 2010.

Li Hong, Chairman of the Hangzhou Tourism Commission said, "IT&CM China provides a good opportunity to demonstrate the city’s conference and incentive travel capabilities, create the image of Hangzhou as the top destination for conference and incentive travel, and to drive the development of the local tourism industry."

For further information, please go to: www.itcmchina.com

TAT organized Chiang Mai & Northern Thailand Road Show to China’s Jinghong and Kunming

2010-03-22T05:01:00.000-07:00

Some more than 120 travel professionals and media gathered at the Imm Hotel near Chiang Mai’s Tha Pae Gate at midnight to join the ambitious Chiang Mai & Northern Thailand Road Show to China’s Jinghong and Kunming that was organized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) on March 13-19, 2010. To connect Northern Thai Tourism with the emerging Chinese market, TAT went an extra long way by using the new Highway R3A via Northern Laos to China.

After all the passengers had boarded four modern buses of Standard Tour Chiang Mai, we departed Chiang Mai at 02.00 on March 13 and headed straight to Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai Province (324km), where we arrived at 07.00 in the morning. We had breakfast at the Nam Khong Riverside Hotel and continued to the Thai Immigration border point to board some small motor boats to reach Ban Houai Sai on the Lao side of the mighty Mekong River.

After passing all the border formalities (Foreigners have to pay 30USD for the transit visa!), we boarded new buses, which came from Jinghong in China. We departed Ban Houai Sai at 9.30 and took Highway R3A that leads to the Lao-Chinese border of Boten-Mohan some 228km away. For lunch, we stopped at the comfortable Heuan Lao Restaurant (Tel. 086-211111) in Luang Nam Tha to reach there at 13.30 because nearly the first half of the highway between Ban Huai Sai and Luang Nam Tha was in a deteriorating condition. This stretch has to be fixed accordingly, if more and more tourists will use this way to reach China.

We left Luang Nam Tha at 14.30 to reach the Lao Immigration border point in Boten at 15.15 and needed one hour for the border formalities including passing the Chinese border point in Mohan. Interesting to note is that for foreigners arriving in China there is a visa on arrival service.

China time is one hour onwards, so we left Mohan at 17.15 for the first section of the Mohan-Kunming Highway to Jinghong (249km), Capital of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. The road is a two-lane highway in a superb condition so that we reached the modern Jinghong Mekong Bridge at 20.00. Before checking in at the centrally located Yunnan Air Xishuangbanna Sightseeing Hotel, we dined in a popular Sichuan Restaurant nearby. Later that night, there was still time to inspect the night market in Jinghong and some entertainment places.

Next morning, we had one day in subtropical Xishuangbanna, the home of the Dai (Tai Lue), for sightseeing. Xishuangbanna in the Dai language means “twelfe administrative areas” and was a long time ago discovered by Bayalawu and a hunting party, who was chasing a golden deer. Today, Xishuangbanna is situated in China’s far Southwest and embraces three counties, namely Jinghong, Menghai and Mengla. Rice-fields, tea terraces and rubber plantations abound.

We visited Ganlanba, also called Menghan Commune, some 27km away on a small road along the Mekong-Lancangjiang River. Just south of Jinghong, there is a cable car line built over the river to reach Monkey Hill, the site of the former Dai king’s wooden palace within Mengle Cultural Park. It is a shame that the cable car line is now idle, because there are plans to construct a residential area there and move all the cultural relics into a newly built Buddhist monastery in town.

In Menghan, we stopped at the colorful morning market to watch the many minorities of the hills to come for shopping. Fish, meat, vegetables, spices, and all kind of fruits can be seen. After that, we proceeded to a kind of Dai Ethnic Garden, which was built on the ground of the five villages of Manjiang, Manchunman, Manting, Manzha and Manga. Highlights are the visits to old Dai pagodas and typical Dai stilt-houses. There is a daily performance of the Water Splashing Festival (Sonkhran in Thai). After lunch in a local restaurant in Menghan, we drove back to Jinghong to use the free afternoon for shopping. For dinner, a visit in a newly built restaurant street along the Mekong River was in order.
It was up to Khun Satit Nillwongse, TAT Executive Director for East Asia, to arrange the “Buyer Meet Seller Program” at the morning of March 15 in the hotel. Mr. Lu Jiang Quan, Bureau Head of the Tourism Administration of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, gave a welcome speech and revealed that some 85,000 Thai tourists visit his place annually. While Khun Satit introduced some leading tourism professionals from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Tak, Mae Hong Son, Uthai Thani, Phitsanulok, Phrae and Lamphun, Khun Sarawut Saetia, President of the Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association (CTBA), showed a video to highlight the tourist attractions of Northern Thailand. Last not least, Khun Songvit from Standard Tour listed in perfect Chinese the 26 tourist companies for the following tabletop sales.
After an entertaining farewell lunch, the whole delegation left Jinghong to Kunming (577km), Capital of China’s Yunnan Province, at 14.00. We reached Pu Erh, new name for Simao, at 15.30 and then realized that from Pu Erh to Ning Erh (new name for Puerh) and even further, Highway R3A was not existing and still has to be constructed. Only 350km before Kunming we re-hit the now four-lane R3A.
At 19.00 we stopped at Mojiang, where we had an excellent local dinner. We continued to Yuanjiang next, where we crossed the dried up Red River (Yuanjiang), which flows into Viet Nam. We realized that Yunnan and neighboring countries are in the midst of an extreme drought, which was never like this for the last sixty years. No wonder that also the mighty Mekong River experiences low water levels, which are not caused by the new dam building activities of the Chinese alone. Finally, we arrived in Kunming at 23.30 and checked in at the luxury Kai Wah Plaza International Hotel located near the Kunming Railway Station, where we stayed for the next three nights.
To make a long story short, we enjoyed a lot free time to discover the modern metropolis Kunming and had our “Buyer Meet Seller Program” (tabletop sales) on the evening of March 17. For that event, Khun Sansern Ngaorungsi, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia and South Pacific) flew from Bangkok to Kunming to welcome all the delegates and Chinese visitors. He said that Thailand is safe and Chinese tourists should visit Thailand. Interesting to note is that TAT hopes that about 0.81 million Chinese will visit Thailand this year - more than double compared to last year.
After a festive dinner function, where THAI Airways International Krissada Napamorakot, General Manager in Kunming, was present, it was clear that the Chiang Mai-North Thailand Road Show was timely and successful. TAT is planning to open an office in Kunming soon. Next morning, most of the road show participants went back the same way from Kunming to Chiang Mai with one overnight stop in Mengla, where we stayed in the new King Land Business Hotel. I counted some 53 tunnels on the highway between Kunming and Mohan. On March 19 at 22.00, we safely arrived in Chiang Mai again after two times 1,378km on the road.
Appendix: Seller List of the participating companies
Prince Khum Phaya Resort & Spa (www.princekhumphayaresortandspa.com)
Royal Princess Hotel (www.dusit.com)
Suriwong Hotel Chiang Mai (www.suriwongsehotels.com)
Star Hotel Chiang Mai (www.starhotelchiangmai)
The Family Hotel (www.thefamilyhotel.com)
Amari Rincome Hotel (www.amari.com)
Holiday Garden Hotel & Resort (www.holidaygardenhotelandresort.com)
Suan Bua Hotel & Resort (E-mail: reservations@suanbua.com)
Inthanon Riverside Resort (www.inthanonresort.com)
Tipchang Lampang Hotel (www.tipchanghotel.com)
Muang Pai Resort (www.muangpairesort.com)
Maesa Elephant camp (www.maesaelephantcamp.com)
Gassan Marina Golf Club (www.gassangolf.com)
Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium
Thai Elephants Home Stay
Thai Massage School Chiang Mai (www.tmcschool.com)
Patawe Health & Beauty Spa (www.patawe.com)
Khum Khantoke Restaurant (www.khantoke.com)
Jia Tong Heng Restaurant Chiang Mai (www.jiarestaurant.com)
Thai House Bird’s Nest (Tel. 053-339493)
Ruby Car Rental (www.rubycarrental.com)
Bright Tour & Trading (E-mail: brighttr@loxinfo.co.th)
Thailand Great Tours (www.thailandgreattours.com)
Udomporn Tours Chiang Mai (www.udomporntours.com)
Chiang Mai K.K. Travel
Standard Tour (www.standardtour.com)
By: Reinhard Hohler, Chiang Mai

Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Appoints New Tourism Ambassadors

2010-03-20T15:13:00.000-07:00

It was under the catch phrase “Once a Seychellois, always a Seychellois" that the Seychelles Tourism Board this afternoon at the ITB trade fair in Berlin, Germany, announced a second group of Tourism Ambassadors.

This now brings the number of Seychelles representatives to 60 in 25 countries across the world.
The new appointments were announced by Vice President Joseph Belmont at a trade lunch on the Seychelles stand.

“We shall continue to identify more Seychellois living and working overseas and propose to them to become part of the Seychelles Tourism Ambassadors Program,” said Vice President Belmont.

The director of tourism marketing, Alain St. Ange, on his part said that empowering Seychellois in the four corners of the world to defend and promote Seychelles, remains a novel idea and one that the tourism board will continue to develop.

He explained that by appointing Seychellois living overseas as Tourism Ambassadors, they were responding to President Michel’s “Koste Seselwa" appeal, and they have to date appointed 60 Seychellois in 25 countries to work alongside their overseas offices to make Seychelles more known.

“It is encouraging to see so many Seychellois nationals themselves making the approach to become a Tourism Ambassador and in so doing, express their wish to work for Seychelles,” Mr. St. Ange said.

The Seychelles Tourism Board is presently finalizing a dedicated newsletter for the Tourism Ambassadors to keep them updated on Seychelles tourism news and what the different members are doing in their respective cities.

Sharen Venus, the tourism board’s marketing executive overseeing the Ambassadors program, said that the enthusiasm of the newly-appointed Tourism Ambassadors was so evident, and she was convinced that their personal contacts will help make Seychelles better known in the four corners of the world.

The tourism board is expected to announce the next group of appointments to its Tourism Ambassadors program during the Seychelles National Show, as part of the National Day Celebrations in June.

Seychelles Tourism Board Contacts:

Alain St. Ange Email: alain.s@seychelles.com

Sharen Venus Email: sharen.v@seychelles.com

Seychelles Tourism: http://www.seychelles.travel

Tourism in China’s Hangzhou city promoted in Hanoi

2010-03-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

The potential for tourism in Hangzhou city, in China’s Zhejiang province, was featured at a meeting of travel agents in Hanoi on March 18.

Hangzhou, famous with its beautiful natural scenery, was awarded the best tourism city by the China National Tourism Administration.

The city boasts a complex of lakes, including the 6.5sq.km West Lake, one of China’s top ten renowned tourist attractions.

The 2,228 year-old city is also one of China’s seven ancient capitals.

The city’s tourism committee said it looks forward to Hanoi’s travel agents to promote Hangzhou’s images to Vietnamese tourists.

Travel agencies in Hanoi also spoke about their city’s tourism potential and asked Hangzhou travel agents to send more visitors to Vietnam’s capital, and other destinations in the country.

In 2009, Vietnam welcomed 500,000 visitors from China. The country plans to organise tourism promotion programmes in China in the coming time.
Source:vbn

Cambodia Tourism Recovery Begins

2010-03-12T19:30:00.000-08:00

Latest figures show total visitors and air arrivals rose in January 2010

Figures released by the Ministry of Tourism Thursday suggested Cambodian tourism is starting to recover after a difficult 2009, as total visitors rose an annualised 6.36 percent in January, which included a nearly 5 percent increase in all-important air arrivals.

Data also showed a dramatic rise in tourists from Cambodia’s two main sources – South Korea and Vietnam – capping a steady upswing from a low base at the start of 2009, the period in which the Kingdom was hit hardest by the global economic crisis. Although overall arrivals climbed 1.7 percent in 2009, air arrivals dropped 10.3 percent, official figures showed.

“We have already received the impact from the crisis. And now it is over, so the sector is on the way to recovery,” Kong Sophearak, director of the Statistics and Tourism Information Department, said Thursday.

South Korean visitors led the spike in air arrivals, reclaiming the top spot with a 39 percent rise in travellers to the Kingdom over second-placed Vietnam, almost all of whose visitors come overland, with a 22 percent increase in arrivals.

South Korean Airlines Asiana, which suspended flights to Siem Reap from Incheon for nearly three months ahead of the tourism high season at the end of last year, saw full loads on its flights four times per week in January to Cambodia’s main tourism hub, Nhim Kimny, the airlines sales and marketing superviser, said Thursday.

Those full loads extended into February, she said, but the real test will once again be at the height of the low season come midyear – flights in January and February were similarly full last year, she added.

“It’s [South Koreans’] holiday period now,” Nhim Kimny said.

Most countries among the top 10 sources of visitors to the Kingdom saw more tourists travel in January compared with last year, including Japan (2.6 percent more), whose economy has struggled to recover from the crisis with just a 0.9 percent official rise in GDP in the last quarter. Australia sent 8 percent more tourists, and visitors from Taiwan increased by 41 percent.

The United States, the number three visitor to Cambodia, saw tourists drop 10 percent, while China saw an unexpected 20 percent fall in tourists to the Kingdom, a surprise given its booming economy and recent high demand for overseas travel as disposable incomes climb and restrictions on foreign holidays are eased.

Overall, however, analysts said the figures were positive, and that a firm recovery would likely take hold throughout the remainder of 2010.

“This year, we are confident of increasing tourism arrivals to Cambodia because the country has an advantageous relationship between quality and price, good customer service and a diversity of offers,” said Mohan Gunti, an adviser to the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents. “There is so much to see in Cambodia.”

Phnom Penh International Airport saw arrivals rise 7.56 percent in January year on year, Thursday’s figures showed, while Siem Reap arrivals climbed just 2.73 percent.

However, Sihanoukville Airport has still not confirmed any flights since renovation was finished at the end of last year.

Asian carriers are expected to post profit of US$900 million in 2010, reversing losses of US$2.7 billion in 2009, as the International Association of Travel Agents on Thursday halved its loss forecast for the global airline industry to $2.8 billion on the back of an Asian-led recovery, AFP reported.

In terms of a Cambodian forecast for the overall industry, Kong Sophearak said Thursday he expected 3-7 percent growth this year. “The sector is in a good position now,” he said.

Mohan said efforts to attract foreign tourists through attractive packages and affordable prices supported by accommodation partners and travel operators would form the strategy for the remainder of 2010.

“All these factors and more will definitely boost the growing tourism industry,” he told the Post.
Source: phnompenhpost

Cambodia to preserve Khmer Rouge sites as tourist attractions

2010-03-10T20:23:00.000-08:00

Cambodia will preserve 14 sites at the last bastion of the murderous Khmer Rouge, including the home of their leader Pol Pot, as tourist attractions, an official said Wednesday.

Following Cabinet approval last week, the sites at Anlong Veng will be protected from destruction by local people and illegal encroachment, the area's district chief Yim Phana said.

Anlong Veng, about 185 miles (300 kilometers) north of Phnom Penh, fell to government forces in 1998 after nearly 20 years of fighting.

The Khmer Rouge regime, under which an estimated 1.7 million people died from execution, disease and malnutrition, was toppled in 1979 but its guerrillas fought on in the jungles, with Anlong Veng becoming their last stronghold.

Yim Phana said the 14 sites include homes belonging to Khmer Rouge leaders, an ammunition warehouse and the grave of Pol Pot, who died in 1998.

Once a remote town, Anlong Veng is now connected by good roads to nearby Thailand and Cambodia's greatest tourist attractions, the temples of Angkor.

Revenue from Cambodia Tourism falls around 2pc in difficult 2009

2010-03-08T20:23:00.000-08:00

Sector analysts point to shorter lengths of stay and less spending following crisis.
Revenue generated from the Kingdom’s tourism sector fell by about 2 percent last year as the sector suffered a drop in spending amid the fallout from the economic crisis, a Ministry of Tourism official told the Post.

Director of Tourism and Statistics Kong Sophearak said the industry generated revenues of US$1.561 billion in 2009 compared to $1.595 billion the previous year despite an overall 1.7 percent rise in the number of visitors to Cambodia, according to ministry figures.

“Last year, foreign tourists tried to reduce their expenses by reducing their stay and downgrading from high-end hotels to cheaper ones,” he said. “Although the number of foreign tourists to Cambodia went up last year, most of them were from the region, not from European countries.”

A Ministry of Tourism report showed that while total visitors climbed in 2009, air arrivals sank as Vietnamese visitors claimed the number one spot from South Koreans – visitors from neighbouring Vietnam climbed 51 percent last year, and those from Laos were up 55 percent.

Kong Sophereak said that Cambodia had therefore effectively replaced higher-spending Western tourists with visitors who stayed a shorter time and spent less.

Typically a Vietnamese traveller to the Kingdom would stay just three days and spend as little as $150 during a trip, explained Ang Kim Eang, president of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents (CATA). A European visitor, by comparison, would usually stay about 10 days and spend many times more, he added.

“The global economic crisis was a significant factor in regards to the decline in tourism sector revenue as tourists’ incomes were hit, therefore they needed to secure expenses,” he said.

Although the Kingdom’s aim of attracting tourists from a wide range of countries had appeared to have paid off in some respects given the overall rise in tourist numbers, measures such as granting visitors from certain countries free visas had delivered little impact, said Mohan Gunti, a CATA advisor and member of the tourism working group which liaises with the government.

Still, Kong Sophearak forecast that further government measures – including the promise of further direct air links to the Kingdom, which will soon include a route to Indonesia – and a general improvement in the world's economy, and that of Cambodia, would help avoid a further drop in tourism revenues during this year.

“We have taken a lot of action to promote the tourism sector,” he said.
Recent rebound
Kim Eang said there had been recent evidence of an upsurge in visitors to the Kingdom’s main tourism sites including to Angkor Wat.

“Things have become positive now,” he said. “The number of tourists from the region, as well as from Europe visiting the ancient Angkor temples has risen.”

Mohan said that further cooperation among the private- and public-sector stakeholders would be required to continue promoting Cambodia as a tourism destination.

“The crisis is over, so things are moving,” he told the Post.
Source: phnompenhpost

Direct Flights between Indonesia and Cambodia

2010-02-26T22:56:00.000-08:00

Prime Minister Hun Sen thursday called for direct flights between Cambodia and Indonesia to promote tourism. Prime Ministers spokesman Eang Sophalleth said after a Phnom Penh meeting between the premier and Indonesia's house of Regional Representatives Deputy Director Laode Ida that Prime Minister Hun Sen called for flights as soon as possible. Tith Chantha, Director General at the Ministry of Tourism said technical teams from both countries are finalizing the process with flights between Siem Reap and Borobudur on Jave expected from April.

Source: phnompenhpost

Discover Luxury in Cambodia's Nature

2010-02-22T03:10:00.000-08:00

4 Rivers Floating Eco-Lodge
Like a rare butterfly, Cambodia has emerged from a troubled past to show off its beauty.

Away from the tourist trail to ancient civilizations there is another country… a land of unspoilt virgin forest, rare orchids and fragrant frangipani, the startling colors and calls of birds of paradise, secretive jungle creatures and a perfumed air of peace and solitude.

This ecological miracle deserves an environmentally friendly resort that captures the imagination while offering the luxury and high-end facilities of a four-star boutique resort.
Peaceful seclusion, privacy, luxury, exclusivity

The resort is ideally situated in Tatai, next to the Thai border halfway between Bangkok and Phnom Penh (via Koh Chang).

Highway 48 cuts straight through the jungle, with dramatic views of the magnificent Cardamom Mountains. Tatai is 20 minutes by car from Koh Kong City, four hours from Phnom Penh or three hours from Sihanoukville.

You embark at the steps of the bridge in the village of Tatai; in our boat the trip downstream the bridge to the resort takes less than 10 minutes with our speed boat or 25 minutes with our cruising boat.

For More information check http://www.ecolodges.asia

Tasek Merimbun -The Nature wonder of Brunei Darussalam

2010-02-20T00:37:00.000-08:00

A heavily-forested kingdom state in Southeast Asia, the tiny kingdom of Brunei has one of the highest standards of living in the world thanks to its rich natural gas and petroleum resources.

Once a British colony, Brunei is today a unique tourist friendly destination. Located on the island of Borneo and bordering the Malaysian state of Sarawak, this city-sized country boasts a long-recorded history and unique culture.

A number of parks, lakes and countless architectural wonders including the gleaming gold dome of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque all add an interesting tourist spin to Brunei. The capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, has more than just beautiful mosques, however. It features a lively amusement park on its western outskirts and acts as a gateway to the port town of Muara and the oil towns of Seria and Kuala Belait.

It is not the cities and towns that visitors come here for but the Temburong eco-tours and longhouse stays. Rainforest covers Belalong National Park, and here visitors can walk among the trees on the canopy walk before learning more about the huge insects and other wildlife that call the forest home at the research center.

Once such interesting place is a trip to Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park including a boat cruise to the islands of the lake is a must see destination of Brunei. Positioned just 27kms inland from Tutong is Tasek Merimbun, Brunei's largest freshwater lake.

It is the only one in the country to be declared an ASEAN National Heritage Site way back in 1984. The park has a total area of about 8,000 hectares. Two rivers flowed through to the lake named Sungai Meluncur and Sungai Bang Oncom.

It is formed by two shallow lakes joined by a narrow channel. Each has a complex lake-cum-forest eco-system with diverse flora and fauna including a number of endemic and endangered species. It would not be advisable to swim or even touch the water because the area is home to a few species of crocodiles.

How does Merimbun gets its name? According to sources, Merimbun has been inhabited by the Dusun people more than a few hundred years ago. The Dusuns said that the area was discovered by someone named Imbun said to be the son of a Ketua Kampung from Merangking in Ulu Belait. It is said that while hunting, he reached this beautiful lake. He discovered that the place had plenty of food - fish in the lake and wild animals in the nearby forest. He brought his family and several of his fellow villagers followed suit to build a new home there. Over time, the Tasek and its surrounding area is called Tasek Merimbun, as a tribute to the founder, Imbun.

However, another version of how the name Merimbun is derived is also interesting. It is said that after the area was settled by the Dusun people, traders would come to bring goods to the area. One such trader was a Chinese man named Eng Boon. It is said that eventually the name Merimbun came from this Eng Boon.

Part of Merimbun Heritage Park, this tranquil nature spot is home to various animals including monkeys and birds. The water in the lakes is black because of the tannins produced in the peat forests through which the main tributary, Sungai Melunchor flows.

As part of the ASEAN Tourism Forum Delegates, we got this wonderful opportunity to experience and capture some of the amazing scenery & attractions around the park and also to explore the scenic view of Tasek Merimbun. The trip was organised by the Brunei Tourism Department to equip the participants with first-hand knowledge of the park’s rich biodiversity and instill awareness of its importance as a conservation area.

Don’t forget to include a quiet moment to appreciate the tranquility. There’s no lack of it if you know where to look. It can be found in the other smaller islands where the waters shimmer under the sun and stunning geological formations command the landscape.

The main attraction of Tasek Merimbun is the natural wildlife around the spectacular lake. Bird watchers and nature lovers will thoroughly enjoy what the area has to offer.

Merimbun Heritage Park has a host of activities to enjoy that center around appreciating the wild animals and plethora of exotic plant species that inhabit the park. The scientific research center provides a wealth of information about the local habitat and the protected wildlife.

Brunei Darussalam Tourism

2010-02-19T01:44:00.000-08:00

This small sultanate is characterized by long stretches of coastline and rolling green hills, kept vibrant by the constant barrage of rain and humid air the land is subject to year round. The mangrove swamps cover a lot of the low lying land where the country’s four principal rivers end, while the eastern part of Brunei is more rugged and mountainous, with the highest peak reaching nearly 2,000 metres in height.

Brunei is not just a sultanate in name only, the royal family rules the country though the sultan has many advisory councils. With Brunei established as an ASEAN member, good ties are kept with close neighbors Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The monarchy has been in existence since the 5th century, but its official implementation of Islam as a state religion didn’t happen until the 15th century.

For the traveler, the country’s make up means it’s rugged going a lot of the time. Visitors will need to use natural waterways and open valleys to get around, which for many is part of Brunei’s allure. Tourist infrastructure has improved a lot, making Brunei a destination for the hearty and adventurous. The weather can be a factor in deciding when to come, with humidity levels often at 80 percent or above throughout the year. Visitors are advised to bring suitable clothing for the sticky climate.

A real treat for visitors to Brunei is the nation’s cuisine. As part of the Malay archipelago, old trade routes meant various culinary influences landed on Brunei’s shores. Today the food of Brunei is a refined mix of local Malay, Chinese, Indian and Arab tastes. Staples of a Brunei diet include rice, coconut milk and vegetables. Meat is sometimes available, but due to Islamic law bacon lovers will have to do without. Those who enjoy a cold beer after a long day will also be disappointed. Again, strict Muslim laws forbid alcohol so prepare to be teetotal for the duration of your stay in Brunei.

Brunei is preparing to be the popular travel destination compared to other countries in the region, the health care system is modern, and facilities and amenities in the capital of Bandar Seri Begawan are well developed.

Brunei boasts all the attractive traits of a tropical country, without the downsides that plague neighbouring holiday hotspots. Visitors can enjoy the warm climate, stunning coastline and rich culture without any worry of contracting tropical diseases from mosquitoes. A high level of hygiene and the availability of world class medical care also set this exotic destination aide from its neighbors.

When to go?
The country has a hot, humid tropical climate all year round. November and December are to be avoided due to the monsoon season, hence heavy rainfall.

Best months to go are March and April, when the weather is generally warm. As these two months are peak season, it is a good idea to book your hotel in advance. Annual average temperature is about 28°C.

Visa information
Most nationalities receive an entry pass on arrival at the immigration checkpoint. The length of stay permitted depends on the citizen’s nationality.

Health
Brunei boasts world class healthcare, with private clinics in each district and a large, well-equipped hospital in the capital city. The absence of tropical diseases and the high levels of hygiene mean visitors rarely experience any health problems. The sultry weather is usually the main culprit of visitor’s health complaints, so travelers should try to stay well hydrated and avoid midday sun. Hospitals and clinics in Brunei offer medical facilities of a high standard.

Safety
Brunei is one of the safest places in the world. Crime, even pick pocketing, is very rare in the country. Alcoholic drinks of all kinds are not sold in Brunei, but non-Muslim visitors may bring limited amount of alcohol into Brunei and to some high-end restaurants and hotel bars.

As one of the world’s safest countries, socially and politically, travelers are at little risk in Brunei. A stable government and flourishing economy keep the nation’s crime rate at bay. Despite the country’s strong Islamic faith, there are no known Islamic fundamentalist organizations in Brunei.

Brunei’s geographical location means it is safe from a host of destructive natural forces such as typhoons, volcanoes and earthquakes.

Money and Currency
The Brunei dollar (BND) has the same worth as the Singapore dollar. It’s around BN$1.44 to US$1. Credit cards are accepted in most major stores, hotels and restaurants and the majority of ATMs accept international Visa and debit cards.

Travel to Brunei - Transportation
Brunei’s sole airport, Brunei International Airport is located in the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan and handles all international air travel to the country. Royal Brunei Airlines is the main carrier, with flights arriving from numerous destinations in the region. Driving from Sarawak to Brunei is also possible via two entry points; one from Miri (Sungai Tujuh) and one from Limbang (Kuala Lurah). Buses also run between Kuala Belait in Brunei and Miri in Sarawak, with a bus change at the Sungei Tujoh border checkpoint. Alternatively, taking a boat from Sarawak is also a fun journey. You will arrive at the Serasa Ferry Terminal at Muara in Brunei, which is about 25kms from the city. To get around, taxis are aplenty while water taxis offer regular services to Kampong Ayer, the water village.

Language
The official language of Brunei is Malay, due to Malays constituting the largest national group. A substantial proportion of the population speaks a variety of Chinese languages, including Mandarin and Yue. Due to borrowings from English and the use of the Latin alphabet, Malay is quite easy to pick up. English is widely spoken by locals, particularly in the business districts.

Weather and Climate
The typical equatorial climate of Brunei ensures soaring temperatures all year round, with a daytime average of 84°F. Consistent rainfall is also a feature of the country’s climate, with annual monsoons blowing in from December to March, and from June until October. Brunei experiences its highest rainfall during these periods.

Development and Infrastructure
Brunei has a highly developed tourist infrastructure including 2,500 rooms in a wide range of establishments, from basic boarding houses to plush five-star luxury resorts. The government has grafted a plan to develop tourism at a steady rate, and attract more international visitors each year. Due to a rich oil and gas resource, the country enjoys some of the highest living standards in the world. Medicine and rice are subsidized, and crime rates are comparatively low. These factors add to the appeal of Brunei as a tropical holiday destination.

Food and Hospitality
Locals are helpful and speak fluent English yet they can be quite reserved. The country's infrastructure is excellent as Brunei is one of the richest in the region. There is a great selection of restaurants, for locals love to eat out. Many five-star hotels offer luxurious comfort, as well as 'hotel bars' where you can bring your own booze and mixers.

Recommended First-Time Itinerary
A week is enough to enjoy the spirit of Brunei fully.
Three days in Bandar Seri Begawan
One day in Kampong Ayer, the water village
Two days in Tutong district, for a tour around Tutong and other towns
Additional time
Two days (one night) in Ulu Temburong National Park
Two days for beach-hopping

Brunei Things to Do
Highlights
Bandar Seri Begawan
Located in the vibrant Brunei-Muara district, this bustling capital city is home to the world-famous Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, one of the most magnificent mosques in Asia, the Royal Regalia Building and the Brunei Museum.

Kampong Ayer
Just outside of the capital, this renowned water village, described as the Venice of the East, is a must-visit place, accessible by boat. Walk around this uber-equipped village featuring historic houses, clinics, schools and mosques.

Tutong
A peaceful town that has several natural spots such as beautiful parks, the country's largest lake, Tasek Merimbun, a small island and a beach. The big tamu (an open market) offers a variety of local foods and handicrafts.

Ulu Temburong National Park
One of the most important attractions in Temburong district, this large, unspoiled park offers canopy trails on wooden walkways and rich, fascinating wildlife.

Beaches
Muara, Serasa, Kuala Belait and Lumut Beach near Tutongboast golden sand and crystal clear waters with plenty of water sports, perfect for a family day out.

Activities
A visit to Jerudong Park Playground
Now one of the top destinations in Brunei, this gigantic theme park offers heart-stopping rides and extensive children's play facilities.

Hiking and trekking
Many natural spots make Brunei an ideal place for enthusiastic hikers. Ulu Temburong National Park offers excellent natural trails, wooden walkways, tree houses and hanging bridges.

Picnicking
As Brunei boasts a great number of parks, picnicking is one of the most popular activities among locals and tourists alike. Remarkable parks include Tasek Recreational Park in Brunei Muara district, Sungai Basong Recreation Park in Tutong district, and Sungai Liang Forest Recreational Park in Belait district.

Water sports
Most beaches in Brunei offer a wide range of water sports. There's also a newly built sports complex at Serasa Beach, providing various activities such as regatta, sailing, powered boat racing, water-skiing and fishing.

Dining
Similar to Malay cuisine, Brunei dishes also focus on rice and spicy fresh fish. Local specialities feature Daging Masak Lada Hitam, spicy beef with potato beans, and Udang Sambal Serai Bersantan, prawns with chilli and coconut milk.

Shopping
Those looking for unique souvenirs will find a selection of goods at the Bandar Seri Begawan Night Market including handmade silverware, brassware and bronzeware as well as gold and silver threaded material known as Jona Sarat

Indonesia Agrees to Visas on Arrival to Cambodians

2010-02-18T22:54:00.001-08:00

Indonesia will allow Cambodian Passport holders to obtain visas on arrival to the country, the foreign Ministry announced on tuesday. According to a statement issued by the ministry, Indonesian authorities will grant 30 day visas to all Cambodian tourists and business travelers. Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said the new arrangement has been in place since last month and predicted it would expedite travel to Indonesia. The move will make traveling to Indonesia easier and less time consuming he said.

Source:Phnompenhpost

Airasia’s Regional 20% Off Deals For All Seats, To All Destinations Are Back!

2010-02-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

AirAsia, the world’s best low-cost airline brings more great news this auspicious Chinese New Year season by offering a 20% price slash for all seats, to all destinations for a limited four days only. This unbelievable promotion will be available exclusively online via AirAsia’s website at www.airasia.com starting from 18 February – 21 February 2010 for the travel period from 23 March – 31 May 2010.

This regional promotional campaign with an attractive 20% off on all flights for its domestic and international destinations are made available from AirAsia’s nine hubs (Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Bangkok, Phuket, Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya, and Bandung) stretching across 20 countries to over 130 routes.

The promotion excludes domestic destinations within Thailand and the six new routes to India (Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Chennai from Kuala Lumpur, and to Chennai from Penang) which was announced open for sale recently, where promotional fares are still available online until 21 February 2010.

Kathleen Tan, Regional Head of Commercial, AirAsia said: “Guests will obtain greater savings from this promotion as the 20% off our existing low fares will add more value to their travel plans. We hope to continue in our efforts to make the tagline “Now Everyone Can Fly” a reality for everyone, apart from making travel easy, convenient and fun. In conjunction with the Chinese New Year Season, this is AirAsia’s “angpow” to our guests, where traveling is made more affordable and accessible than a bus ride. And there’s no better way for guests to spend their “angpow” money than to travel with AirAsia for a vacation or book our flights as “angpow” gifts for their friends, family and relatives.”

“Our extensive route network as well as having our Kuala Lumpur hub as a gateway across Asia, Australia and Europe opens up a great range of options for guests to connect across the globe. And through www.airasiago.com, guests are also able to mix and match their preferred tour and activities, apart from affordable holiday packages and lodging from over 50,000 hotels worldwide that will suit their budget and travel appetite. This will be a good opportunity for those who are still trying to get a Valentine’s Day gift or a Chinese New Year surprise for their family and friends,” she added.

Guests can utilize this limited four-day promotion to book flights to favourite destinations such as London, Australia, China, and across Southeast Asia attractive destinations such as Siem Reap, Bali, Phuket, Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City. Those who are planning for domestic travel in Malaysia can also benefit from this promotion as domestic destinations are all included.

For more promotional updates, as well as real time information on AirAsia’s activities, follow AirAsia on Twitter, Facebook and the AirAsia Blog!

Media Contact:
Daphne Cheah, Communications – AirAsia; Email : cheahuijen@airasia.com

Cambodia at ATF Brunei 2010

2010-02-12T00:52:00.000-08:00

Cambodia Delegation at ATF Brunei 2010 was represented by Dr. Thong khon and his Ministerial team along with the Private Sector. Some of the snap shots of the Cambodia Delegation Team at ATF 201o at Brunei. Next Year Cambodia is going to be the host country to host 30th ASEAN TOURISM FORUM (ATF 2011) to be held at the newly built Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Centerm Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 15th to 21 January 2011, under the theme of "ASEAN - A World of Wonders and Diversity". For further details check: www.atfcambodia.com

AirAsia Increases Frequency to Hangzhou (Shanghai)

2010-02-10T23:51:00.000-08:00

Direct daily flights to gateway of Shanghai to commence on 28 March 2010

To cater to the increasing demands and encouraging load factor from its guests, AirAsia’s long haul, low fare affiliate, AirAsia X will be increasing its frequency to Hangzhou, the gateway of Shanghai with direct daily flights commencing 28th March 2010.

With nine destinations in China under its belt including Chengdu, Tianjin (Beijing), Hangzhou (Shanghai), Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Haikou, Guilin, Hong Kong and Macau, AirAsia group has unrivalled its route network to China. AirAsia has a combined total of 198 flights weekly to China flying from various destinations in Asean including Bangkok, Phuket, Kota Kinabalu, Penang and Kuala Lumpur, a testament that the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline committed in developing the underserved markets.

Attractive all-in-fares are offered from as low as RM929* (CNY568*) one-way and exclusively available online via AirAsia’s website at www.airasia.com or mobile.airasia.com. Booking period is from 9th to 21stFebruary 2010, for travel period between 28th March – 30th October 2010.

Kathleen Tan, Regional Head of Commercial, AirAsia says: “The response has been extremely good as we are running past 70% load factor for the Hangzhou – Kuala Lumpur routes. This demand has enabled us to ramp-up our frequency. The increased frequency is testament to the AirAsia’s commitment of making travel accessible and affordable to all. It will also provide both business and leisure travelers with more flexibility and greater choice to connect onto AirAsia and AirAsia X’s extensive route network across ASEAN countries and beyond. We have always positioned Hangzhou as our Eastern gateway into the Yangtze Delta region as it takes only 75 minutes from Hangzhou to Shanghai by bullet train and the inbound travellers from China can also take advantage of Kuala Lumpur’s status as a gateway to Asia, Australia, Europe and beyond,”

“Hangzhou, also known as the ‘Oriental City of Leisure’ is famed for its natural scenery. The West Lake, being one of Hangzhou’s most famous attractions, has been immortalized by countless poets and artists. The city ranks as one of China’s most popular tourist attractions, with natural attractions such as the Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea Fields, Guo’s Village, Leifong and Six Harmonies Pagoda. Hangzhou is also one of the seven ancient capitals of China.” concluded Kathleen

The Kuala Lumpur - Hangzhou route is serviced by Airbus A330-300, which holds 383 economy seats including 28 Premium seats which have an impressive 60-inch seat pitch. For more details on flight times and bookings, please visit www.airasia.com

Kuala Lumpur – Hangzhou
Flights From Departure/ Arrival Flight No. Frequency
Kuala Lumpur - Hangzhou 8:10 / 13:10 D7 2602 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
Kuala Lumpur - Hangzhou 17:20 / 22:20 D7 2604 Tuesday, Saturday & Sunday

Hangzhou – Kuala Lumpur
Hangzhou to Kuala Lumpur 14:10 / 19:10 D7 2603 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
Hangzhou to Kuala Lumpur 23:20 / 04:20 D7 2605 Tuesday, Saturday & Sunday

For more information, kindly contact: Mazlan Rasheed, mazlanrasheed@airasia.com

Airasia, Vietjet Air form New LCC in Vietnam

2010-02-10T17:55:00.000-08:00

AirAsia is proud to announce its acquisition of a 30% equity stake in Vietjet Aviation Joint Stock Company (Vietjet Air) to establish a Vietnam-based joint venture low-cost airline which will carry the name Vietjet AirAsia.

The Ministry of Transportation of Vietnam approved the share acquisition on February 9 (Tuesday).

Vietjet AirAsia will be operating both domestic and international flights. It is currently finalizing details regarding routes, frequencies and launch of flights.

The formation of Vietjet AirAsia makes Vietnam AirAsia’s fourth country base, following Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

AirAsia, Asia’s leading and largest low-cost airline, joined the venture to expand its reach in Vietnam and open the country as another gateway in the ASEAN region. The joint venture strengthens AirAsia’s position as THE ASEAN airline, expanding operations in the region, increasing intra-regional connectivity, and championing the ASEAN region as a tourism hub.

“The birth of Vietjet AirAsia contributes to the diversification of the aviation market in Vietnam, providing more options to meet the air travel needs of people in Vietnam and in the region,” Vietjet said.

Vietjet AirAsia will be tapping the expertise of both AirAsia and Vietjet Air for the successful operation and marketing of low-cost flights.

“The joint venture is a well-balanced combination of the management system, technical expertise, long-term experience in the airline industry, crew and international brand of AirAsia, and the financial strength, as well as Vietnamese market insights of VietJet Air,” Vietjet Air added.

AirAsia has informed Bursa Malaysia of its latest initiative.

About VietJet Air
Licensed in the air transport sector in December 2007 with the initial capital of 600 billion dong, VietJet Air is the first and only aviation joint stock company in Vietnam permitted to operate both domestically and internationally. The founding shareholders of VietJet Air are the Sovico Holdings, HD Bank and experienced, dedicated experts in the civil aviation industry in Vietnam. VietJet Air is committed to giving customers the opportunity to experience high-quality, professional and safe air service, and respect, friendliness reflecting the cultural characteristics of Vietnamese people. The airline observes the operating principles for environmental protection and social responsibility to the community.

About AirAsia and AirAsia X
AirAsia is the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia. It is proud to be a truly Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) airline with established operations based in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. It services an extensive network of destinations stretching across the ASEAN region (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines), mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Australia. Through its low-cost long-haul affiliate AirAsia X, it is able to reach more destinations in China, Taiwan, Australia and the UK. Both AirAsia and AirAsia X have carried more than 85 million guests to date and have approximately 90 aircraft. AirAsia was named the 2009 World’s Best Low Cost Airline in the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax, and AirAsia and AirAsia X were named joint winners of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) Airline of the Year Award for 2009.

For more information, contact AirAsia Communications:
Desiree Bandal; Email : desireeb@airasia.com