Don't misbehave with foreign tourists: Aamir to tell people

New Delhi - Donning a new hat, actor Aamir Khan will now be seen asking countrymen not to misbehave with foreign tourists and deface monuments as part of the Tourism Ministry's social awareness campaign.

Aamir, will appear in TV commercials, national dailies and also on Internet as part of the domestic ad campaign of 'Atithi Devo Bhavah', Tourism Secretary Sujit Banerjee said.

The campaign consists of two TV commercials – one sensitising against misbehaviour with foreign tourists and the other against garbage and graffiti at tourist sites.

In the 60-second first commercial, the ‘Ghajini’ star, appointed brand ambassador of the ministry's 'Atithi Devo Bhavah' campaign, advocates friendly behaviour towards tourists saying it is a ‘matter of national honour’.

The second commercial, of 40 seconds duration, shows Khan asking people not to dump garbage and put up graffiti on monuments. The ad has been shot at the Kanheri caves in Mumbai.

The script of the advertisements have been written by Prasoon Joshi and directed by Rakeysh Mehra of ‘Rang De Basanti’ fame.

The ministry also launched an interactive website with Aamir seeking participation of visitors to stand up against misbehaviour with tourists and stop people from defacing the monuments and littering at tourist sites.

Posters will also be put up at various strategic points in cities to make the campaign a complete integrated programme which will eventually turn into a mass movement, said Banerjee.

Thailand Visitor Arrivals down by 20 per cent in 2008

Officials from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) did their best at the recent ASEAN Tourism Forum to convince participants that overseas visitor numbers were on the increase.

“Amazing Thailand is staging an amazing recovery,” said TAT deputy governor for marking communications, Juthaporn Rerngronasa.

The deputy director reported that tactical marketing campaigns mounted by the TAT and special offers made by hotels around the country were beginning to show results.

She did say, however, that international visitor arrivals in January so far have been 20 per cent below the same period last year. “It’s coming back, bit by bit,” the tourism official added.

The tourism authority will launch road shows around North Asia in February, in an attempt to boost tourism in markets that have been among the worst performing so far this year.

The most recent figures on the numbers of tourists handled by members of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) show the largest decline in 10 years.

ATTA said that its members handling tourists arriving at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in 2008 report a 17.03 per cent drop off in business - from 2,495,809 clients in 2007 to 2,070,666 in 2008.

In 2008, ATTA member companies saw a decrease of 425,143 arrivals over the previous year.

The decline in tourist arrivals began in August and then accelerated when anti-government demonstrators occupied and shut down Bangkok’s two main airports for 10 days at the end of November.

Tourism futures: A case for 3 dimensional thinking

The world is swallowing a dangerous cocktail of economic recession, financial malaise, credit crunch, stock market turmoil and crumbling business/consumer confidence. Corporations and countries are being bailed out. Warren Buffet, says he can’t predict the next six months except headlines will be nasty and severe but in 4 years time markets and the economy will be just dandy. Given Mr Buffet’s track record, I’ll defer to his wisdom and offer my take on key issues for tourism.

Current estimates of 2008/2009 performance of the sector, globally, regionally and nationally will be revised downwards for the next 6 months as rapidly worsening macroeconomic structures progressively unfold. And as business and consumer confidence follows suit. The situation will only change with coordinated widespread stimulus packages, a global trade deal and nationally coordinated initiatives to shore up failing structures and sectors - which will bite over time.

All markets will be affected – but not equally, as business and consumers cut back on budgets, postpone or cancel travel plans, go closer to home, trade down in price/quality options while reducing stay and spend. We will see major consolidation across the sector – transport, accommodation and related services. It will be vertical and horizontal. Job losses will be significant with bankruptcies, mergers and takeovers all too familiar. The big losers will be in the world’s poorest countries, where tourism is an economic lifeline and development imperative. We must advocate for their support now – not when it is too late.

Those equipped to take advantage – other than having deep pockets – will ruthlessly cut non-essential costs and reposition products/prices to feasible markets and reliable segments. They will protect vital resources, starting with the human ones and eliminate the unnecessary.

This is also the moment to plan “smart tourism” – clean: green: ethical and quality – no mat-ter where in the product range and use ICT and public/private partnership to extend operational and delivery capabilities. Skilfully done, it can reduce medium term costs while increasing customer appeal and satisfaction. For the UK Olympics or the African Soccer World Cup there will be special positioning and promotion challenges.

Lessons from UNWTO’s “Resilience” activity can help in tracking market shifts, identifying best practice and sharing information. As well as identifying tourism as a key player in the emerging New Green Economy.

In this context, it’s vital to position tourism as the logical sector to help economic stimulus – whether its employment support (because we create so many job) or infrastructure programs (because our payback across the economy is so pervasive and wide ranging). Particularly when financial mechanisms are considered – we will deliver on tax breaks and moratoria better than most industries and money spent on tourism promotion will provide massive export and investment returns.

It’s equally vital to stay on course with our development and climate action, because it’s right and because policymakers must do so. Tourism is critical for development as an export driver and job creator. It’s critical for climate, like all major socio-economic sectors and a key component of any green technology paradigm shift.

Today, any consideration of the future should be like three-dimensional chess, intensive actions in the hyper-dynamic 2008 economic game must strengthen the 2015 development game and the 2050 climate game. Such vision is not easy, faced with immediate crisis of this proportion. But when the upturn occurs, because economies ultimately correct and mobility is hardwired into the human gene - the big winners will be those who really understand the value of aligning short- and long-term decisions.

Geoffrey Lipman is currently the assistant secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization and is a professor at Victoria University and Christel DeHaan Institute.

India launches one more royal tourist train

Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, a regal train chugging across the land of maharajas in western India, Sunday started its maiden journey, with the government promising to launch similar services in more states.

"Many states have shown interest in this regard and I am going to take up the issue before the cabinet and also with the states that are keen on having luxury tourist trains," Tourism Minister Ambika Soni told reporters after flagging off the new train at the Safdarjung railway station here.

The luxury train is a joint venture by the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation and the Indian Railways.

It will provide an alternative to the Palace on Wheels, India's first luxury train, which is already booked till 2010.

The seven-day sojourn on the Royal Rajasthan train promises to be a heady mix of Rajasthan's pristine historic experience, said Soni.

With a carrying capacity of 82 people, the train will have 13 deluxe saloons and one super deluxe saloon, four service cars and two restaurant bars. A top-class spa and wi-fi facilities are also in the offing.

The itinerary of the train will be the same as the Palace on Wheels: it would leave Delhi and start on its week-long journey through Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Sawai Madhopur among other places before terminating the run at Delhi.

Due to technical difficulties, the train will not go to Bikaner this season though announced earlier.

The train was earlier expected to commence operations from October 2008

ATF 2009 - Media Updates - Thailand

THAILAND MEDIA BRIEFING BY MRS. JUTHAPORN RERNGRONASA
Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications
ASEAN Tourism Forum 2009 (ATF 2009)
Sunday, 11 January 2009, 16.00 – 17.00 hrs.
Vietnam Exhibition Fair Centre Hall 6A, Hanoi, Vietnam

Xin Chào, Sawasdee-kha and good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

I am very honoured and delighted to welcome you all to Hanoi as well as to our press briefing today. Thank you all for being with us and for giving us an opportunity to update you with the latest developments of Thai tourism.

I would like to begin by extending my warmest congratulations to the people and the entire tourism industry of Hanoi and Vietnam for their excellent arrangements in hosting their first ever ASEAN Tourism Forum.

Having hosted this important event five times in the past, including the last one in 2008, we know how much work is involved. All the feedback we have received from the delegates and participants has been very positive. Clearly, this is a coming of age for the long-standing policy of the countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion to build strong tourism relations amongst themselves as well as the countries of ASEAN.

THAILAND-VIETNAM TRAVEL
It is also due to the policy that bilateral tourism flows between Vietnam and Thailand are growing strongly. The fact that we have a mutual visa waiver system is of course a major contributing factor. We opened the TAT office in Ho Chi Minh City to directly promote Thailand tourism in the Vietnamese market.

In each year, there is an increasing number of Vietnamese arrivals to Thailand. In 2007, Vietnamese arrivals to Thailand totaled 270,000 and during January – October 2008, Thailand received 240,000 Vietnamese tourists.

In turn, Thai visitor arrivals to Vietnam in January-October 2008 totalled 150,000. We are proud to be the largest single source of visitor arrivals to Vietnam from amongst the ASEAN countries, and we hope to see continued growth in these two-way flows in future, especially because of the significant contribution to intra-regional ASEAN travel.

ASEAN VISITORS ARRIVALS TO THAILAND IN 2008
In total, the ASEAN countries contribute to about one-fourth of our total visitor arrivals. International visitor arrivals to Thailand in January – July 2008 totalled 9.14 million of whom 2.3 million visitors were from ASEAN countries, or a market share of about 25 per cent. Malaysia topped the list with one million arrivals, followed by Singapore with 370,000 and Lao PDR with 350,000.

OUTLOOK FOR TOURISM TO THAILAND AFTER THE AIRPORT CLOSURE CRISIS
I know most of you would like to get an update of what happened in Thailand during the airport closure and how we have recovered from this unprecedented crisis. Today, we can confidently say that Amazing Thailand is making an Amazing Recovery and is back in business.

The closure of Thailand’s main gateway airport at Suvarnabhumi between 25 November to 3 December was a completely unforeseen and unpredictable event caused by a domestic political dispute. The entire Thai tourism industry was mobilised to help the tourists, which became a top priority.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports and Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), together with the entire private sector provided accommodation, transportation, and meals.
Some emergency flights were operated from other airports, and city terminals were established for tourists to undergo early check-in procedures. Once the all-clear was declared, the entire aviation industry moved expeditiously and urgently to get the airport open again and help visitors return home to their loved ones.

After the reopening of the airports, the recovery in visitor arrivals was almost instantaneous. This is clear proof of the high levels of confidence that visitors have in the Kingdom of Thailand, the Thai people and the Thai tourism industry.

Now a new Thai government has been formed. Furthermore, the new Minister of Tourism and Sports, His Excellency Mr. Chumpol Silpa-archa, has pledged immediately to expedite the recovery of tourism. He will work with other ministers to ensure the necessary funding and infrastructure support.

Recovery Plan
The industry’s three-point recovery plan for 2009 includes:

Emergency measures to restore visitor confidence, Policy measures to promote more domestic travel and international visitor arrivals, and Tactical marketing measures which include special campaigns, especially via online marketing.

Our campaigns will focus on major markets where we will work with industry partners to launch special packages, advertise in local media, promote the Amazing Value Card and Coupon, organize media trips to Thailand, encourage overseas Thai residents to visit Thailand, and bring back seminars and exhibitions.

One of the key areas is the recovery of the domestic market. In times of crisis, we have always found that the Thai people turnout big time to help their fellow citizens. We are boosting our public relations, marketing and promotional activities in the domestic market in order to help us tide over the projected shortfall in international visitors.

We are also working closely with the private sector to launch special packages in both the international and domestic markets, for example:

1. One Price All Destinations Package
   eg. 40 boutique hotels have offered 2,000 Baht nett from January - March, 2009. Moreover, the Banyan Tree in Bangkok and Phuket is promoting a special offer of the “Thailand Smiles Again Package”: Buy 1 Get 1 Free for 1,000 rooms or during 8-31 January, 2009.
   
   
2. Thailand Super Deal portal website:
   You can find Thailand’s best deal packages from hotels, tour operators, airlines, shopping centres, etc.
   Please check out: http://www.tourismthailand.org, and
   www.thailandsuperdeal.com.

We are also organising roadshows abroad and bringing media / travel agents fam trips, especially from major markets; such as, China, Japan, and the Middle East.

REVISED ARRIVAL PROJECTIONS
We are expecting that final figures for 2008 will show a total of 14.3 million arrivals, which will be about the same as 2007. Although arrivals are projected to improve in the first quarter of 2009, they will definitely be lower than arrivals in the first quarter of 2008. However, we project an improvement in the second quarter of 2009. We target the international visitor arrivals in 2009 are not less than 14 million, again depending on extra budget from the government, as well as, local, regional, and global situation.

THAILAND: BEST VALUE FOR MONEY UNDER THE CAMPAIGN “AMAZING THAILAND, AMAZING VALUE”
There are certain underlying strengths in the Thai tourism industry that supports our resilience. For example, Thailand remains the world’s best value-for-money brand, as announced on 11 November, 2008, by the 2008 Country Brand Index (CBI), the third consecutive year it has won this accolade.

The Brand Index hailed the Kingdom thus: “Famous for its authentic culture, spectacular beaches and noteworthy nightlife, Thailand is also one of the most affordable destinations in the world.” In addition, Bangkok has been voted by the Travel and Leisure Magazine and the CondeNast Traveler, US to be the “Best International Business City 2008”. From the Scandinavian market, Thailand has won the Grand Travel Award Norway 2009 that was announced on 6 January, 2009. We have also won numerous other awards.

This reputation comes about due to the continuing investments that are being made by the private sector across the board of improving the Thai tourism product. Here is a listing of some of the more prominent ones:

NEW PRODUCTS
DRAGON DESCENDANTS MUSEUM in Suphan Buri, only 1 hour from Bangkok by car. Founded to mark the 20th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the People’s Republic of China and Kingdom of Thailand, the Museum is designed to present the history of Chinese civilization, using the dragon as a known sacred imaginary animal.

CHIANG MAI ZOO AQUARIUM
The newest marine aquarium in Thailand, which also claims to be the largest aquarium in South East Asia and boasts the world’s longest tunnel aquarium. It houses about 3,600 aquatic animals of 250 different species. The Aquarium is linked together by a 230 metres walkway.

SIRINDHORN MUSEUM AND PHU KUM KHAO DINOSAUR EXCAVATION SITE IN KALASIN
The archaeological museum's outstanding exhibits include life-sized skeletons of the many significant dinosaur species discovered in this area. This museum is situated in the scenic foothills of Phu Kum Khao, Kalasin province and is named after Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The mysterious walkways take visitors back in time to the beginnings of the Earth and how it was formed, as well as the evolution of living creatures; such as, dinosaurs and humans.

PATTAYA FLOATING MARKET (FOUR REGIONS OF FLOATING MARKET)
The Four Regions Floating Market is the latest attraction for tourists visiting Pattaya. Tourists are ferried by boats around the compound linked by a network of canals. There are performances of Thai classical dances native to the four regions of the country.

AKSRA HOON LAKORN LEK THEATRE
Situated in the King Power Complex, it has been promoted as a showcase of Thailand’s cultural and dramatic heritage, the Aksra Theatre presents performances of traditional of Thai puppetry.

SUVARNABHUMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RAIL LINK:
A rail link is under construction from Suvarnabhumi International Airport to downtown Bangkok. The service is expected to be ready by May 2009. The rail link will be 28.6 kilometres long and express journeys will take 15 minutes and commuter trips 27 minutes.

THAI – LAO RAILWAY SERVICE
For the first time, a rail service between Thailand and Lao PDR. (Nong Khai – Ban Thanaleng, Vientiane) is due to be officially open in the beginning of March 2009. The construction of the 5.3 kilometre rail line from Nong Khai province on the Mittraphap Bridge to Ban Thanaleng in Lao PDR will further enhance tourism and trade between the two countries.

NEW HOTELS OPENING IN 2008 AND 2009
One of the major indicators of the continued confidence of investors in Thailand is the huge increase in new and refurbished hotels, as well as hotel expansion in both 2008 and 2009. Our records show that a total of 50 new hotels opened nationwide in 2008.

46 new hotels are set to open this year (2009). All these hotels include both international and local hotel chains, such as,

Ritz Hotel, Best Western, Crown Plaza in Bangkok Jumeirah Phuket Private Island Resort, 65 pool villas, five-star Shangri-La Phuket Resort and Spa, 315 rooms, five-star The Regent Phuket Cape Panwa, 106 rooms, five-star Conrad Koh Samui Resort, 79 villas, five-star DusitD2 Samui, 60 pool villas, boutique Banyan Tree Koh Samui , 100 villas, five-star Anantara of the Minor Groups in Phang nga, five-star

They indicate an inflow of investment from all over the world, including the Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

THAILAND TO BE A HUB OF CHARTER FLIGHTS
We are also fortunate to have a good mix of airline traffic. Although scheduled flights are of course the dominant source of traffic, we are also seeing strong growth in low-cost airlines and charter traffic.

According to the Airports of Thailand, total Low Cost Carrier (LCC) passenger traffic at all the international airports in Thailand has risen from 7.1 million in the fiscal year of 2005 to 12.8 million in the fiscal year of 2008, a far higher growth rate than passenger movements on the regular scheduled airlines.

The winter season is also the time when we get a lot of charter traffic.

To Phuket: During the October 2008 - March 2009 season, we will have a total of 43 charter flights to Phuket per week including the inaugural flight of XL direct Charter Airlines from Paris and Brussels that landed in Phuket in December 2008. This is in addition to the regular charters we have from Italy, Scandinavia, and Switzerland. New charters are also coming from St Petersburg in Russia and Kazakhstan.

To Surat Thani: TuiFly Nordic AB Charter flights have landed to Surat Thani from Helsinki since 5 December, 2008.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Many interesting upcoming events this year will continue to facilitate our recovery. For example:

• CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION on 26 January – 4 February, 2009:
  The official opening ceremony of the Chinese New Year festival in Chinatown will be held on 26 January, 2009. This year, we have received good cooperation from seven provinces of China from Guangxi, Hainan, Xuantong, Anhui, Beijing, Heilong Jiang, and Yunnan provinces to present their local cultural shows in Amazing Thailand.
  
  
• 14th ASEAN SUMMIT 2009:
  This historic summit will now be held in Hua Hin during 27 February – 1 March 2009. It will be the first since the signing of the new ASEAN charter and will fast-track integration across all sectors, including economic, social, and cultural, and especially transport and communications. In November 2008, ASEAN transport ministers signed three air agreements that will lead to the full liberalization of freight and other air services in the ASEAN region. A wider Free Trade Agreement will go a long way towards boosting trade and business contacts. For more information, take a look at http://www.14thaseansummit.org/.
  
  
• Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2009:
  With cooperation between the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the tourism industry, Thailand has an honour to annually host the largest B2B event “Thailand Travel Mart Plus the Greater Mekong Subregion (TTM+) during June 3-7, 2009. The website of the event is www.thailandtravelmartplus.com.
  
  
• AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY OF TRAVEL WRITERS:
  Up to 200 of Australia's leading travel writers will descend upon Thailand on 21-23 August, 2009 for their annual general meeting, expected to be the largest off-shore event for the association since its inception in 1975. It will include the group’s AGM for three days in Bangkok, and a series of six tours of up to seven days’ duration.

INTERNATIONAL SPORT EVENTS

• THE 3rd GOLF PGA ROYAL TROPHY: This took place this week from 9-11 January, 2009, at the exclusive Amata Spring Country Club in Bangkok. Asia and Europe’s best golfers are participating in this tournament; such as, former British open champion Paul Lawrie, Joe Ozaki, Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng, along with Japanese teen sensation Ryo Ishikawa and South Korea's S.K. Ho.
  
  
• PATTAYA WOMEN’S OPEN (TENNIS) 2009: Sony Ericsson WTA Tour tournaments in Thailand has announced that the Dusit Thani Pattaya will be the venue for the upgraded WTA tournament which will be held from 7-15 February, 2009. It carries prize money of a minimum of US$220,000.
  
  
• 1st ASIAN MARTIAL ART GAMES on 25 April – 3 May, 2009: The Olympic Council of Asia has selected Thailand to host the 1st Asian Martial Art Games 2009. This is an entirely new event that OCA will organise for the first time even though these martial arts have long been part of the sporting tradition; namely, Karatedo, Kickboxing, Muai, Wushu, Kung Fu, Pencak Silat, etc. amongst the 45 members of OCA. It has received the help and support of nine martial arts associations.
  
  
• 4th LAGUNA PHUKET INTERNATIONAL MARATHON: This will be run on 14 June, 2009, featuring a Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 10 Kilometre Run, 5 Kilometre Walk and a 2 Kilometre Kids Run. Registration is now open.
  
  
• 3rd THAILAND INTERNATIONAL BALLON FESTIVAL 2009
  The 3rd Thailand International Balloon Festival, scheduled for December 2009, will be up, up and away with more than 60 hot-air balloons from countries from around the world including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, South Africa, Croatia and Malaysia.

BIG INTERNATIONAL CONCERTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

• “SIMPLY RED THE GREATEST HITS LIVE” IN BANGKOK 2009:
  The concert will be held on 1 February, 2009, at the Impact Arena, Impact Muang Thong Thani. The British soul-pop band, Simply Red, has embarked on a massive Greatest Hits World tour and are coming to Bangkok, which will be a bonus for their fans.
  
  
• CHICAGO THE MUSICAL:
  The show will be held on 12-22 February, 2009, at the Muangthai Ratchadalai Theatre, Bangkok. CHICAGO has everything that makes Broadway great: a universal tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz; one show-stopping-song after another; and the most astonishing dancing you've ever seen.
  
  
• WONDER GIRLS LIVE IN BANGKOK 2009:
  The concert will be held on 28 February, 2009, at the National Stadium. The Wonder Girls are a famous South Korean girl group. The Wonder Girls held a fan meeting in Bangkok, Thailand in May 2008, attracting over 10,000 fans.
  
  
• ROD STEWART LIVE IN BANGKOK:
  The concert will be held in March 2009, Bangkok.

CONCLUSION
Distinguished media delegates,

In conclusion, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of you for being here. Please convey the message to your readers and viewers that Amazing Thailand is making an Amazing Recovery and we are back in business. I will be happy to take a few questions before I sign off today. Please do join us this evening at the “Pattaya Thailand Night”, Horizon Hotel.

Thank you and sawasdee kha.

Growth in low-cost carrier passenger traffic within Asia Pacific

SINGAPORE - Airline companies have played an immense feat, juggling both the legacy and low-cost carrier segment with unwavering commitment in going through the test of times during the last seven years and especially through 2008. The year 2007 was a year of regaining profitability for the airline industry after the uphill struggle of cutting off redundant infrastructure and going through various mergers and acquisitions and recovering from the post 9/11 downturn in volume of passenger air traffic. The exponential surge in fuel price and present volatility in financial sectors have significantly affected the aerospace industry as a whole.

According to Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Consultant of Aerospace & Defense Practice Amartya De, the year 2008 alone saw the International Air Transport Association (IATA) terminate 26 carriers and is keeping watch on 10 - 15 other carriers.

"This watch is not concentrated on any particular part of the world, but rather, in many different pockets. The load factor has remained more or less close to 75 percent since the last 7 years, and there is not much one can do above this unless the existing capacities are significantly cut down," he said.

He added that North America has been the largest loser in 2008 with Europe and Asia Pacific making meager profits of a few hundred million dollars and the Middle East retaining a little respectable share by the close of 2008.

"Airline companies will be able to rationalize and offer efficient services with gradual freedom to operate in open skies if governments look to deregulation as a way to promote the industry as a whole. The previous drop of 50 percent in airline share prices might just reach their initial levels, post all the merger and infrastructure cutbacks by early 2009," he continued.

In terms of industry, Frost & Sullivan estimates that the year 2009 will have its share of global losses owing to the liquidity crunch in the airline industry but most of it will be taken off by the US market. Emerging economies in Asia Pacific will still see an increase in passenger traffic of the order of 5 - 7 percent.

"The prices of air tickets globally will have come down to initial levels by end of 2008. On a positive note, the Asia Pacific players will not face any loss for 2009 and might even be left with few cents in the pocket. The market will still see reasonable growth in Low Cost Carrier (LCC) passenger traffic within Asia Pacific and even in the long haul segment," De said.

Frost & Sullivan also estimates that there will be stronger growth in the economy class travel rather than in the long-haul business class travel mainly for Asia and intra-Europe. "The three sectors - namely Europe-Middle East, Middle East-Asia, and Asia-Europe - will continue to grow at about 7 percent CAGR in 2009," De continued.

He also added that despite the financial slowdown, there will be continuing demand for new and fuel-efficient narrow body aircrafts with around 1,800 new fuel-efficient aircraft deliveries for 2009 equally shared by Boeing/McD-D and Airbus, while on the other hand, airlines will continue to deal with volatility in foreign currencies and hedging strategies.

"The financial torrent is affecting the aircraft leasing sector more than ever before and these times of change are definitely going to lay the new foundations of this industry. Increasing cost-cutting measures and resource sharing are forging together new business models in the airline industry," he said.

According to De, "The distinction between Legacy and LCC becomes thinner and thinner, and eventually we will see fewer carriers with better service and a reasonable ticket prices."

source: etn

The 29th ASEAN Tourism Forum opens in Hanoi

HANOI - The 29th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Tourism Forum opened in Hanoi on Tuesday, with participants seeking solutions to boost tourism that was heavily hit by global economic downturn.

Tran Chien Thang, Vice Minister of Vietnamese Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry, said at the forum that global economic turmoil has reduced demand for traveling.

Thang called policy markers in ASEAN countries to map out favorable policies for tourism sectors to grow. He also suggested travel agencies to launch new products and services, like cruise tourism, to attract more customers.

Participants at the meeting discussed the establishment of ASEAN Tourism Investment Corridor, and plan to accredit regional selected hotels with the title of ASEAN Green Hotel.

With an aim to further lift the image of ASEAN tourism, participants agreed to carry out the ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) project in coordination with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Participants also agreed to strengthen regional cooperation to enhance competitiveness and deal with the challenges together.

ASEAN comprises ten countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

The forum draws tourism ministers of ASEAN countries and representative of travel agencies, airlines and hotels from across the world.

Bruce Lee Hong Kong home to be saved as tourist site

HONG KONG - A philanthropic bid by a Hong Kong tycoon to preserve the one-time residence of kung fu legend Bruce Lee and transform it into a major tourist attraction honouring the film icon was approved Tuesday.

The green light comes after a long-running struggle by fans to save the 5,700 square-foot, two-storey town house from an inglorious fate as a seedy love motel in a leafy Kowloon suburb.

The fate of Lee's last home had hung in the balance for years, until its owner, real estate and hotel tycoon Yu Pang-lin, made a surprise decision last year to donate it to the city where the martial arts master first shot to fame.

"Both sides have now reached a consensus to go ahead and essentially proceed with this good plan," Yu told reporters after a meeting with government officials.

"I'm 88 years old now and hope that while I'm still alive I'll be able to see this Bruce Lee museum completed," he added.

Hong Kong's Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said it agreed to preserve the "original outlook of the building and its features" with an aim to revitalize it for long-term sustainable operation as a tourism attraction.

Parts of the home will be recreated, including Lee's study and training hall stacked with martial arts weaponry and other paraphernalia of his discipline.

While further details have yet to be hammered out, Yu wants the site, which has served as a love motel with rooms rented out by the hour -- to include a library, martial arts centre and a cinema to fully commemorate Lee's life and philosophy.

government spokeswoman gave no time frame but hoped to get the project up and running as soon as possible.

Lee, who died under mysterious circumstances in 1973 aged 32, starred in such kung fu classics as "Fist of Fury," "Game of Death" and "Enter the Dragon."

Revered both by martial arts adherents and movie buffs the world over for popularizing the kung fu cinematic genre, Lee also helped usher in a golden age of Hong Kong film in the 1960s.

Before Yu's charitable gesture however, the government seemed reluctant to invest public money in a major site to commemorate the legacy of one of Hong Kong's most famous names.

While born in San Francisco, the brash though sinewy fighter was raised and made his name in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's Bruce Lee fan club welcomed the breakthrough, and expressed hopes the residence could prove as big a draw as other global memorial sites such as the Beatles Story in Liverpool and Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion in Tennessee.

Source: uk reuters

Tourism Arrivals in 2008 in Cambodia

Some 2.1 million tourists visited Cambodia last year, marking an 6.0 percent rise over 2007 but falling short of the government’s target of 2.3 million visitors, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said Sunday, citing the global financial crisis and ongoing political turmoil in Thailand a major tourist gateway to Cambodia – as reasons for the slowdown. Still, he said the Kingdom’s arrival figures were likely to increase by at least 5.0 percent this year.

”We are targeting tourists from countries not [badly] affected by the economic downturn,” he told. Cambodia had hoped to see 2.3 million arrivals this year, Thong Khon said. He had said earlier that the Kingdom would try to attract more Chinese and East Asian visitors to offset the decline in tourists from Western countries.

Cambodia’s Kep, Sihanoukville and Pailin become new provinces

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni signed a royal decree on December 22 that will change the municipalities of Kep and Sihanoukville on the southern coast into provinces and re-demarcate the boundary between the provinces of Sihanoukville and Koh Kong accordingly.

Mr. Khieu Sopheak, Spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, told that the changes were aimed at improving administrative efficiency and law and order. He added that the policy was in line with the government's existing de-centralization program that aims to upgrade the capacity and efficiency of local governments.

For the former beach resort town of Kep in the eastern part of the 443km-long coastline this new up-coming development will mean a lot. Being in the shadow of the old colonial port town of Kampot, Kep is located only some 25km away from Kampot and is reached on the way to the new border opening of Prek Chak/Xaxia into Ha Tien in Viet Nam’s Mekong Delta. It is becoming more and more popular these days because of its fresh seafood sold at the Crab Market and the nearby south sea escapes of Koh Tonsai or Rabbit Island as well as Koh Poa or Snake Island.

Actually, there is only one kilometer of sandy beach, which gets quite busy on weekends. With small boutique hotels and guesthouses, it is only a matter of time when Kep will return to its former glory that was before the Khmer Rouge totally destroyed the place during the murderous Pol Pot regime of 1975-1979. Around Kep, there are a lot of cattle farming and salt farming going on. Pepper plantations abound. Beautiful limestone-mountains dot the horizon with caves and intriguing pre-Angkorian sanctuaries.

From Kep, you can see the island of Phu Quoc, which is located some 60km off the Vietnamese coast, but less than 20km away from Kep. The colonial power of France had given this island to Viet Nam in 1949 to settle some border problems with Cambodia.

Passing the provincial town of Kampot, Tek Chhou River and Bokor Mountain, you will reach Sihanoukville, some 110km away, on the newly built Highway no. 33 via the market village of Veal Renh on Highway no. 4.

Sihanoukville was formerly known as Kampong Som until a deepwater port was built there in 1955. Since then, Sihanoukville developed steadily as a beach town until now. The latest attractions in town are the re-constructed Independence Hotel Boutique Resort & Spa, built in 1963 at the most beautiful spot of the whole area, and the newly arrived German-owned “Sun” 22mx7m luxury motor yacht, which comes with three decks plus sundeck on top, seven cosy cabins, bar and restaurant. There are regular overnight outings to Koh Rong Samloem or Koh Tang, including a co-operation with the Dive Shop Cambodia operators.

The best-featured restaurant on land is without doubt the Russian-owned Snake House, where eating around well-kept snakes and crocodiles is in order. Also, Cambodia’s first official motorbike club, Lone Brothers MC, opened in Sihanoukville recently.
Koh Kong is 222km by road from Sihanoukville at the western end of the coast and is the best province for Eco-tourism. In former times, there were four rivers to cross by ferries, but since the completion of Highway no. 48 the bus-ride takes only 4 hours - mostly along the wild Cardamom Mountains. As the gateway to the southern part of Cambodia, Koh Kong is just 12 km from the border opening of Cham Yeam/Hat Lek into Thailand’s Trat Province via the impressive new bridge across the Koh Kong River.

The sleepy town becomes more popular day by day and is the starting point to lush virginal rainforest, scenic waterfalls, lush mangroves and outlying islands. Boating is possible by contacting the German-run Neptune Guesthouse. Koh Kong Island has untouched sandy beaches and is still waiting to get developed in the future.

Interesting to note is that King Sihamoni has also signed the royal decree that the former Khmer Rouge-controlled and gem-infested Special Economic Zone of Pailin becomes a new Cambodian province. Thus, the re-demarcating of the provincial boundaries between Battambang and Pursat follows and will affect the northern part of Koh Kong accordingly. It seems that the tide of the impoverished Kingdom of Cambodia will turn to the better.

Tourism to Indonesia remains strong at year's end

Niether the financial crisis nor the Australian travel warning stopped tourists from spending Christmas and New Year in Bali, as the island once again broke its own record for highest number of visitors.

According to a report by the Christmas and New Year holidays' task force , as many as 133,705 tourists, both domestic and international, entered Bali via the Ngurah Rai International Airport between the 22 and 30 of Dec., an increase from 125,000 in the same period last year.

As many as 75,651 people passed through the domestic terminal, while 57,424 came on flights from overseas.

I Gede Ketut Astana, manager-in-duty at the airport, said the influx in tourists reached its peak on the 29th of Dec., when a total of 15,193 tourists, 8,479 of whom were domestic tourists and 6,714 were foreign tourists, arrived in the island.

"Apparently, despite the financial crisis, the numbers of foreign tourists remained high, especially from our main markets which are Japan, Korea, China and Australia," Astana said Wednesday.

Domestic airlines responded to the high demand by adding an average of four flights a day during this year end holiday season, Astana said. During non-holiday seasons, the airport manages about 54 domestic flights per day.

He said international airlines did not add any extra flights to their regular number of 40 per day.

He said he expected the mass departure of domestic tourists this coming Friday and international tourists on Saturday.

Head of the Bali Tourism Agency, I Gde Nurjaya, confirmed that Bali remained a sought-after holiday destination this new year, citing an average hotel occupancy rate of 68 percent throughout Bali.

"Specifically, the hotels in Kuta, Nusa Dua and Sanur have been quite full, with an occupancy rate of over 80 percent. Some hotels were even overbooked," he said.

He added that hotels in the northern and eastern areas of Bali, such as the Buleleng Regency and Karangasem Regency, however, were only about 60 percent occupied, which means that Bali's tourism industry has not managed to lure tourists away from the famous destinations in southern Bali, such as Kuta.

"So I would like to urge the tourism businesses again, especially travel agencies, to help spread out the distribution of tourists in Bali more evenly," he said.

"Because Bali is not just Kuta, Sanur or Nusa Dua. There are other interesting places they can find all throughout Bali."

Meanwhile, Kuta beach was very crowded on the days leading to New Year's Day.

Melinda, 28, a tourist from Surabaya, East Java, said she decided to visit Bali because it was perfect for vacationing.

"I love coming to Bali. There are beautiful places and all the souvenirs you can buy. Everything is here for you," she said.

When asked whether she was worried about the security of the island, she was not worried.

"I'm not afraid. I'm certain that Bali is a safe place to be," she said.

Source: jakarta post

India's Kingfisher Airlines to cut fares in new year 2009

The country's leading private air-carrier, Kingfisher Airlines, has said that it would effect fare cut across its network from January 1, 2009.

"Kingfisher Airlines will begin the New Year on an aggressive note by slashing fares on its network," Kingfisher Airlines Chairman Vijaya Mallya said in a statement here today. He, however, did not specify the quantum by which fares would come down.

The current low prices of Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) allows Kingfisher to pursue an opportunity to significantly increase market share by offering the fine five star flying experience at reduced fares, he said.

Earlier, Kingfisher had said that it would effect fare cut only after the government classifies ATF in the Declared Goods category. Another private airline, Jet Airways, had also taken a similar decision on the issue.

The airlines across the board are demanding from the government to classify ATF in the declared goods category. Under the declared goods category, there will be a uniform four per cent sales tax on air fuel across the country.

The proposal is now before Parliament. However, several state governments are likely to oppose the uniform taxation as it would cause revenue loss to them. Now, the sales tax varies from four per cent to 32 per cent, and accounts for over 35 per cent of airlines' operational cost.

Over the last four months, there has been a sharp decline in ATF prices. While some air carriers earlier this month reduced the fuel surcharge between Rs 200 and Rs 400, they did not touch the basic fare.

Thailand plans $450 mln to help tourist sector

$450 million package for reviving its important tourist sector, badly hit by a crippling week-long airport blockade, the Tourism Minister said on Thursday.

"If businesses fail, it will cause damage to the country," Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-Archa told reporters after meeting with private tourism operators.

The 4-year rescue plan will help a tourist industry suffering from the effects of the closure of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport closure during November as it was blockaded by anti-government protesters. The blockade paralysed the industry and stranded 300,000 travellers. The government fears the period may have tarnished its image as a tourist destination for years.

Tourism directly employs 1.8 million people in Thailand and brings in the equivalent of 6 percent of gross domestic product, making it a major economic driver.

"We have already lost 100 billion baht in revenues and more than 2 million tourists from the airport closure," he said of the blockade during the peak tourist season. He did not elaborate.

The $4-billion airport handles more than 100,000 passengers and outbound cargo worth around $85 million each day.

Apichart Sankary, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said he expected the number of foreign tourists of 12-13 million next year, compared with 16 million projected by the Tourism Authority of Thailand before the airport siege.

"If the situation gets better, we may have more than 13 million tourists next year," he told the meeting, but gave no projection for this year.

Apichart said normally Thailand welcomed 8,000-12,000 foreign tourists a day during the peak season that started in November, but the number fell to 5,400 after the airport shut.

"Now we seem to have three low seasons in a row," he said.

India eyes Asean to ease recession-hit tourism sector

With long haul destinations like US and UK impacted by the global meltdown, the tourism ministry has focused attention on short-haul destinations like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

Not only is the government considering a proposal for giving long-term, multiple entry visas to visitors from ASEAN countries but special promotions are being planned before Union tourism minister Ambika Soni's visit to Vietnam in January 2009.

Overall, the tourism sector in India witnessed great buoyancy till the middle of this year with the growth between India and the ASEAN countries being high. During 2002-2007, foreign tourist arrivals to the country increased from 2.38 million to 5.08 million, growing at 16.37%. During this period, the tourist arrivals from the ASEAN region to India grew at 15.24%. Foreign tourist arrivals from the ASEAN region to India during 2002 was 1.49 lakh and in 2007 it was 3.03 lakh.

"ASEAN is an important source market for India. India has been actively promoted in this market through promotional and marketing events. India sees immense potential for tourism generation from ASEAN region due to geographical proximity and good connectivity with most of the ASEAN member countries,'' Leena Nandan, tourism joint secretary said.

Amongst the biggest draws in the region is Buddhist tourism and cruise tourism. The ministry is already working at promoting India as a port of call for those cruises that originate in Singapore and Malaysia. According to officials, the Mahaparinirvan train that showcases Buddhist sites in India is a major attraction.

The tourism ministry has also proposed issuance of multiple-entry, long-term visas for ASEAN countries. The home ministry is in the process of examining the proposal.

According to officials, the tourism ministry has suggested that the advanced passenger system, which has begun for Air India flights at Mumbai and Delhi, be extended to all international flights and then eventually to all metro cities.

How to Honeymoon in Thailand

Planning your honeymoon in Thailand does not have to be a huge hassle. It can be fun and exciting, as well as simple to plan before your wedding your wedding. Destination weddings and honeymoons are increasingly famous these days with couples and it should be an exciting and adventurous time for both of you. Learn how to plan a honeymoon in Thailand and spend some quality time together as newlyweds.

1Step OneDecide whether you want to stay in a secluded area or with other couples and newlyweds. Many all inclusive honeymoon resorts are adults only resorts and some even go as far as 'adult couples only' resorts. This atmosphere can make it more of a romantic honeymoon because everyone around is in love and happy.

2Step TwoChoose an all inclusive honeymoon package for Thailand, so you can keep away from dealing with small details like rooms and flight. You can research on the Internet for deals and fabulous packages, or you can go to your personal travel agent and ask for more information.

3Step ThreeMake sure you have a functional camera that you can take along with you. You might hire a photographer while on your honeymoon, but it is best to be prepared. This is a special moment and celebration of the beginning of your lives together. You will want to make sure you get photos of your honeymoon in beautiful, exotic Thailand.

4Step FourResearch about Thailand to learn the customs and culture before you go off for your honeymoon. You might want to go on excursions, or you might want to sit on the beach the whole time and drink cocktails. It is good to know what the location is like and what it offers to its visitors.

5Step FiveStart packing for your honeymoon to Thailand and make sure you pack according to the weather. Leave any stresses at home and get ready to rejuvenate yourself with your true love.

Philippines to host World Health Tourism Congress

It is a genuine concern for patients that sets the Filipino health care worker apart. Some will say that this is because malasakit or the capacity to empathize with people, especially the sick, is deeply ingrained in our collective cultural psyche. But couple the quality with excellent professional training, and it is not surprising that Filipino health professionals are among those most sought after throughout the world.

Thus, it is good news that the Philippines won the bid to host the fourth World Health Tourism Congress in 2009. The noteworthy global event will be held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza on March 26 to 28, and would serve as a key networking venue for leading health and wellness providers. Aside from a three-day conference and workshop, one-on-one business sessions between buyers and sellers make it possible to acquire supply contracts, establish market linkages, and agree on mutually beneficial transactions.

Attendance to the event is by invitation only, so that only serious solution providers and buyers can join. Among the solution providers that have been invited to participate are hotels, spas, health resorts, airline and air ambulance companies, medical services agents, inbound tour operators specializing in health tourism, and general and specialist hospitals and clinics. Cosmetic dentistry, plastic surgery, orthopedic and sports medicine are specializations that are expected to grow with the successful promotion of medical tourism.

Among the speakers at the press launch was Hadi Malaeb, managing partner of event organizer Aura International Dubai.

Although 92,000 medical tourists from the Arab world visited the Philippines in 2007, the number is expected to grow as the country is given prominence as a premium medical destination at the congress. Among the corporate buyers expected to attend the event are health officials from oil-producing Middle Eastern countries that are among the biggest spenders for medical travel. An additional boost for medical tourism is anticipated with the participation of international insurance companies whose network managers decide where to send their clients, third party medical agents mostly from North America and Western Europe who incorporate travel and tours with medical treatment for their clientele, and outbound tour operators who are on the lookout for health and wellness destinations. To emphasize the immense potential of medical tourism, Malaeb cited a 2006 study by the consultancy firm Globalysis that placed the health and wellness industry revenue at US$40 billion in 2006. The figure is projected to climb to US$60 billion in 2012.

In the Philippines, medical tourism brought in revenues of US $350 million since the program was launched in 2006. The target figure for year 2012 is US $1 billion. Undeniably, promoting the Philippines as a wellspring of healthcare and wellness through such events as the World Health Tourism Congress will be invaluable in reaching this goal.

“This congress is a great opportunity for the Philippines to showcase its Centers of Excellence,” said DOT Undersecretary for Sports and Wellness Tourism Cynthia Carrion. “The world-class quality of healthcare, the country’s close attention to patient safety, and the capabilities of our caring, compassionate, and culture-sensitive healthcare professionals will reinforce the Philippines as the heart of Asia for health tourists.”

Source: philstar

Thailand tourism officials launch Super Deal promotion

Thailand's tourism authority has announced the launch of a Thailand Super Deal promotion as it attempts to bring tourists back to the country after recent political turmoil saw Bangkok’s two main airports closed for several days and millions of travellers stranded.

The focus of the campaign will be on the ‘amazing value’ that Thailand offers, as seen on a new website, thailandsuperdeal.com. Links to accommodation deals, airline offers, package tours, shopping bargains and other incentives can be found on the website.

As part of the programme, hotels and individual travel operators are able to present their own special offers, which are supported by the tourism authority’s public relations and promotions efforts.

On Tuesday, 24 boutique hotels and 11 travel operators launched the ‘One Price All Destinations’ campaign.

The campaign packages feature room rates discounted to 2,000 baht per person per night, and include breakfast, dinner and airport transfers.

Hotels participating in the campaign are located in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chumpon, Hua Hin, Koh Phangan, Krabi, Phuket, Pran Buri, Sukhothai and Samui.

The special deals are open to Thais and foreign visitors, from 23 December through 28 February, for travel through 30 June.

Chumpol Silapa-archa, the tourism and sports minister, said he would be continuing to take steps to help the recovery of the tourism industry through the rest of the high season.

www.tourismthailand.org

India rolls out red carpet for tourists

NEW DELHI - If you've been planning to visit India - whether to soak up Goa's splendiferous sands or ogle the Taj Mahal - now's a good time to pack your bags. Hotel tariffs have plummeted by a whopping 30%, the Indian government has unleashed a raft of tourist-friendly sops and travel agents and airlines are offering great bargains.

With the portentous mix of a global economic slowdown and terror attacks eroding the growth of tourist arrivals in India, tourism has taken a beating. The Mumbai terror attacks on November 26, industry experts rue, have ruined the tourism season just as it was unfurling. As a result, compared to the 30% growth in the sector in 2007 - and double-digit growth for the past five years - the country is expected to post a tourist arrival increase of zilch this year.

This is a contrast from 2007, during which India witnessed a record number of visitors from abroad and a sharp rise in foreign exchange earnings through tourism. The number of foreign tourists in India touched a record 5 million in 2007, an increase of 12% from 2006. The estimated tourism earnings in 2007 were US$11.96 billion, compared to $8.93 billion in 2006.

This year, even till August, things weren't actually so bad. Foreign arrivals had increased 10.4% compared with the corresponding period last year. The foreign exchange earnings during the same period rose 21.5%. Buoyed with this growth, the industry had set itself an ambitious target to more than double the number of arrivals to 10 million by 2010, when New Delhi will host the Commonwealth Games.

But all this looks unachievable now due to a combination of factors, including a plunge in the number of arrivals for the first time in six years by 2.1% in November, traditionally regarded as the beginning of the high season. The number of visitors in November nose-dived from 532,000 in 2007 to 521,000, while the corresponding foreign exchange earnings from visitors dipped by 12.5% to $1 billion.

To make matters worse, in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, almost 50% of bulk bookings by visitors (largely from Britain, Europe and the US) were cancelled. Travel advisories issued by the US, Britain, Australia, Canada and Singapore advising against travel to India did nothing to help things. According to Himmat Anand, co-chair of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry's tourism committee, along with corporate bookings which usually plunge at this time, no fresh bookings have been forthcoming. "India has suddenly disappeared from overseas tourists' itineraries this year," he said.

What has further aggravated the situation is that on account of a record tourist turnout last year, operators had invested heavily in infrastructure upgrades and renovations which are now cumulatively adding to their losses. "This has been one of the worst times for Indian tourism in recent history," said Anil Kalsi, chairman (northern region) of the Travel Agents Association of India.

With panic buttons buzzing everywhere, the Ministry of Tourism has been forced to take urgent steps to increase footfalls to the country. It is now working on a war footing with trade associations and airlines to push up visitor numbers through a slew of measures. The Ministry of Tourism has set up state-level committees comprised of representatives from trade associations and ministries to look into various aspects of tourism management. Tourism Minister Ambika Soni has also urged governments of various countries not to issue travel advisories against India, simultaneously sending out a message of reassurance to the world community that India is a "safe" destination.

To prevent the sector from plunging into further gloom, the Tourism Ministry is also working proactively with travel operators to revitalize inbound tourist traffic. As a part of the "promote India campaign", for instance, tour operators have been asked to pair hotel tariffs with airfares and offer attractive incentives to visitors. Those who visit India this year will be offered sops like discounted packages for rural tourism, adventure tourism and wellness tourism on their next visit. Tour operators are also offering to sponsor at least 1,000 tourism industry reps to take a free trip to India for discussions.

Meanwhile, the ministry is working out the modalities of giving visas to tourists on arrival to further encourage unencumbered travel to India. It is also fleshing out 22 new mega tourism destinations across the country at an outlay of 250 million rupees (US$5.1 million) to 1 billion rupees for each destination, to infuse novelty into visitors' itineraries. To give rural tourism a push, 130 more villages have been identified as templates to showcase India's heterogeneous culture. Financial support to tour operators promoting India in the international arena has also been ratcheted up.

The government would do well to fire on all cylinders, considering that after the Mumbai massacre group bookings to popular tourist destinations like Goa, Jaipur and Kerala have plummeted remarkably. "The meltdown mayhem coupled with Mumbai's terror attacks have severely impacted Indian tourism," said Subhash Goyal, erstwhile president of Indian Association of Tour Operators. "It has had a cascading effect down the hospitality chain - from travel agents to the airlines to car rental companies to the hotels."

Five-star hotel tariffs in Delhi have hit an all-time low. A room can now be had in the range of 8,000 rupees to 10,000 rupees, even though the same room fetched between 12,000 to 15,000 rupees last year. Ergo, to create demand, many hotels and resorts are offering a "Global Meltdown Tariff" which knocks off 30% off the normal fare.

However, despite a raft of measures taken by the government and the hospitality sector to rejuvenate inbound tourism, industry players are still a tad wary about the Christmas-New Year season, which accounts for the bulk of their annual business.

"Ironically, this is the time when trade is [usually] booming," said Prateek Ghai of Globe Travels, a New-Delhi based travel agency. "But this time, due to a combination of factors, things are looking far too bleak!"

Thailand apologizes to Tourists

The recent closure of Bangkok’s two airports was an unforeseen and unpredictable event never experienced before in Thailand. We sympathize with all of you who were affected and the distress it caused.

In realizing your plight, the various related agencies of the Thai tourism industry did everything possible to alleviate the inconvenience incurred upon visitors. Hundreds of people across the spectrum of the Thai travel and tourism industry worked round-the-clock to help the thousands of tourists seeking to be reunited with their families and friends.

With regards to the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and together with entire private sector, we provided accommodation and meals, as well as facilitated tourists as much as possible. Some emergency flights were also operated from other airports, and city terminals were established for tourists to undergo early check-in procedures. Once the all-clear was declared, the entire tourism industry moved expeditiously and urgently to get the airport open again.

We hope that you have reached home safely and that your confidence and trust in Thailand as a destination has not been affected, and that we will have many more opportunities to welcome you again in our country.

Today, I am happy to inform that the Thai travel and tourism industry is back to normal. Thailand is and continues to be a wonderfully diverse tourism destination with great beaches, savory, food, health and wellness centers, luxury accommodation, unspoiled nature, and of course warm and friendly smiles.

So with all of this and much more, we look forward to seeing you in Amazing Thailand soon.

Mrs. Phornsiri Manoharn
Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand

Tourism Back to Normal in Thailand

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has issued two statements - one for visitors to Thailand and one for members of the travel trade - amid a positive sign that Thai politics looks set to be more stabilised under the new Abhisit Vejjajiva administration.

The message for visitors to Thailand is a simple note of apology with TAT governor, Ms Phornsiri Manoharn, offering her sympathy to tourists affected by the closure of Bangkok's two airports.

Ms Phornsiri said in her note: "We hope you have reached home safely and that your confidence and trust in Thailand has not been affected...I am happy to inform that the Thai travel and tourism industry is back to normal.

"Thailand is and continues to be a wonderfully diverse tourism destination with great beaches, savoury, food, health and wellness centres, luxury accommodation, unspoilt nature, and of course, warm and friendly smiles."

The message for members of the travel trade conveys TAT's appreciation for their help and co-operation with the Thai NTO during the incident period. It also puts into perspective how TAT plans to move forward to regain the confidence of foreign visitors and investors.

Both statements reiterate how Thailand's travel trade made it its first priority to help stranded passengers, reaffirming the industry's trademark resilience in the face of crises.

Meanwhile, inbound tour operators reported seeing new bookings for Thailand coming in.

Asian Trails CEO, Mr Luzi Matzig, said new bookings from Europe for after the New Year had started to come in, albeit at a sluggish pace, due to declining spending power of European travellers under the tough economic situation.

However, he maintained the main reason for the drop in bookings for Thailand was the global economic situation that was made worst by the closure of Bangkok's two key airports.

Diethelm Travel Group COO, Mr Richard Brouwer, said: "Apart from receiving new bookings, we are not getting anymore cancellations. In fact, some cancelled bookings have been reinstated."

Source: ttg

AirAsia CEO Dato Sri Tony Fernandes Named Tourism Personality

Best Tourism Transportation Award for AirAsia

AirAsia received another recognition when AirAsia Group CEO, Dato’ Sri Tony Fernandes was named Tourism Personality of the Year at the Libur Tourism Awards 2008 held in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday. The Awards was organized by Libur, a Malay language travel magazine.

The Tourism Personality Award was aimed at honouring organizations and individuals for their endeavors in promoting and developing the country’s tourism industry.

AirAsia was also recognized with the Best Tourism Transportation Award in the airline category, for its contribution in transporting millions of tourists each year into Malaysia. With its extensive network in South East Asia with over 100 routes and covering over 60 destinations, the airline has carried over 55 million passengers since it started operations in 2001.

Dato’ Sri Tony in his acknowledgement speech said, “We always see Malaysia as an important tourist destination. When we first started, we made every effort to bridge all places in Malaysia by setting up an extensive domestic network. There are various places of interest that this country offers, so it is very important to provide easy access and of course, affordable fares, so that tourists will be motivated to return for their holidays.”

“AirAsia has garnered multiple awards internationally, but nothing beats the recognition given by our local tourism industry as it a mark of acknowledgement to our efforts for Malaysia, which will definitely inspire us further, as an ASEAN airline, to bring Malaysia to the forefront as one of the best travel destinations in the world,” he concluded.

The awards were presented by Datuk Ab Ghaffar A Tambi, Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia, representing Minister Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said.

With AirAsia X, a long-haul low-cost airline as its subsidiary, it provides additional links to Malaysia for tourists from Australia, China and Europe, contributing to the already solid passenger traffic into the country via the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT).

Thailand - "We regret the incident and will not allow it to happen again"

Newly elected Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Wednesday he was sorry for the damage done to the country by the week-long occupation of Bangkok's two airports.

He spoke just hours before he received a royal proclamation which officially appointed him as the 27th Thai prime minister.

The Tourism Council of Thailand said Wednesday that 3 million tourists will skip the country this winter, costing 109 billion baht and thousands of jobs.

Council president Kongkrit Hiranyakit directly blamed seizure of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, which stranded 350,000 foreign tourists in the country.

"We regret the incident and will not allow it to happen again," the newly elected prime minister Mr Abhisit told Thai tourism industry representatives on Wednesday.

During the airport closures Mr Abhisit stayed silent and did not condemn the action by the People's Alliance for Democracy. One of the PAD leaders is a member of his Democracy party, which now controls a majority in parliament.

On Wednesday he defended the military for not intervening to clear the airport because the army had been put in a "difficult position". He did not elaborate.

Mr Abhisit personally gave tacit support to the PAD when he showed up at the funeral of a PAD supporter killed during clashes with police outside parliament on Oct 7. He also visited injured PAD protesters.

Tourism accounts for an estimated six per cent of the country's gross domestic product, and industry experts have warned that tourist numbers could fall by half next year - roughly seven million visitors - because of the damaging airport closures.

"I am fully aware that the tourism sector was hit hard and it had an unreasonable loss of revenue," said Mr Abhisit. But he stopped short of promising government aid. Because of the severe damage to tourism, "Therefore I will create national unity and national reconciliation," he added.

Hotel occupancy has already plummeted after tourists cancelled Thai trips, scared off by television images of trapped travellers sleeping on baggage trolleys and PAD guards with wooden stakes stationed at the airports.

There was some help for the industry at hand, though.

Southeast Asia's leading budget airline said on Tuesday it will give away 100,000 plane tickets as part of a regional marketing campaign to woo tourists to Thailand after that nation's political turmoil.

AirAsia said it was working with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to send the message "it is now safe to travel back to the Land of Smiles."

The airline said the free tickets would be good for travel to Bangkok from Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and China as well as for flights within Thailand. AirAsia was also offering another 400,000 sites to other destinations at its website, including free tickets out of Thailand to nearby tourist centres such as Bali and thje airline's home country of Malaysia.

Tickets can only be obtained at the AirAsia web site through Friday. They will be good for travel between Jan 6 and next March 31.

source: bangkokpost

AirAsia offers 100,000 free tickets to Thailand

Southeast Asia's top budget carrier AirAsia said Tuesday it would offer 100,000 free tickets to Thailand under a regional marketing campaign to support its tourism industry battered by recent political unrest.

AirAsia said it would collaborate with Tourism Authority of Thailand to bring back tourists and businessmen by "reinstating the core message that it is now safe to travel back to the Land of Smiles."

Under its campaign themed "Get Your Baht To Thailand" — a play on the Thai currency — AirAsia will give away 100,00 free tickets to Bangkok from Vietnam, Cambodia, Myammar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and China, as well as for flights within Thailand.

Passengers will only have to pay airport taxes and administration fee. AirAsia last month abolished fuel surcharges on all its flights.

"We hope that this campaign will instill the confidence among travelers and also help to boost tourism which is vital at this juncture," Group Chief Executive Tony Fernandes said in a statement.

Tickets can only be purchased online at AirAsia's Web site over the next three days from Wednesday for travel between Jan. 6 and March 31.

AirAsia operates over 400 international weekly flights that connect Thailand to the rest of Southeast Asia and China. Within Thailand, its affiliate, Thai AirAsia, operates 378 flights weekly.

Thailand's tourism industry is suffering after months of anti-government protests culminated last month with demonstrators taking over Bangkok's two main airports for a week.

A measure of political stability has returned to Thailand after the parliament selected a new prime minister Monday, but the political turmoil and airport shutdown are expected to discourage travelers from visiting Thailand.

Thailand ushers in new political era

Chiang Mai, Thailand - Member of Parliaments (MPs) voted Monday morning to proclaim Democrat Party Leader, Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, 44, as the 27th prime minister of Thailand.

Of the 436 MPs eligible to vote 235 voted for Mr. Abhisit, while 198 voted for Mr. Pracha. Three MPs abstained.

The alternative candidate nominated by the recently formed Phue Thai Party, which is backed by ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was Puea Pandin Party leader and police general Pracha Promnok.

The electoral result was not welcomed by some of the supporters of Mr. Thaksin, who lives in exile and faces a two-year jail term, if he returns from abroad. "Red shirts" were protesting outside Thai Parliament against the MPs, who evidently have switched sides in the meantime.

A last ditch influence by Mr. Thaksin to prevent the result of the election process on Saturday evening has obviously failed.

Also, the amazing result ushers Thailand in a new political era and will certainly help to lead a recovery in the sinking tourism outcome.

Source: Reinhard