Editors Note World View Asia-Pacific Scene Indian Panorama Kerala Traveller Aviation Face to Face 10 Questions Woman of the Month Hospitality Columns Bookshelf Variety Quiz Back Issues asian traveller :: home :: Asia-Pacific Scene A sia-Pacific Scene Asia Emerges as the New Luxury Travel Destination !/tbody> Asia, the most happening region in the world tourism map, has added one more feather to its cap. According to the findings based on a new initiative that was launched by ALTM (Asia Luxury Travel Market) Asia has emerged as a luxury travel powerhouse. The increase in consumer confidence and the spending power of Asian elite which is reaching new heights has been the main factors that have contributed to this.      ... read story Asia Emerges as the New Luxury Travel Destination Asia Emerges as the New Luxury Travel DestinationAsia, the most happening region in the world tourism map, has added one more feather to its cap. According to the findings based on a new initiative that was launched by ALTM (Asia Luxury Travel Market) Asia has emerged as a luxury travel powerhouse. The increase in consumer confidence and the spending power of Asian elite which is reaching new heights has been the main factors that have contributed to this.      The results of a unique trends survey that was carried out in a joint collaboration between ALTM and TTG Asia over a period of two months in Quarter One of 2010 were announced at the pre-show conference in Shanghai, China recently.The survey highlighted preferred ... read story ASEAN Nations Eyes NE India for Tourism Investment ASEAN Nations Eyes NE India for Tourism Investment Ambassadors of various ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) countries in India will shortly visit North Eastern states of India to explore the possibilities of investments in fields of tourism and trade in these states. The visit will be at the behest of the Ministry for the Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Government of India. A decision in this regard was taken recently at a meeting between B K Handique, Minister for Mines and DoNER with the Ambassadors of Thailand and Myanmar in New Delhi.As per the Ministry communiqué, the visit will be in two phases. In the first phase, the Ambassadors will visit three states in North East region i.e. Mizoram, Manipur, and Trip... read story ITB Asia 2010 Buyer Applications Surge Five months before ITB Asia, more than 900 travel industry buyers have already applied for hosted buyer status. Limiting the final amount of hosted buyers to 700 has encouraged buyers to apply early. ITB Asia exhibitors favour this arrangement as it allows them to complete their appointment schedule in advance.  “The response has been beyond our expectations,” said Nino Gruettke, Executive Director of ITB Asia, which takes place in Singapore 20-22 October. “The applicants are diverse - from the MICE, leisure and corporate sectors and from a wide range of geographic markets,” he said.Based on buyer applications received so far, show organizer, Messe Berlin (Singapore) (MBS), reports that 50 per cent of buyer applications are f... read story Thailand Getting Back its Smiles !/tbody> The Thailand capital Bangkok which has witnessed violent demonstrations by anti-government protestors in the recent weeks is getting back to normal. Thailand, which is known “Land of Smiles”, now faces the challenges of repairing its image and its tourism industry. read story Macau Continues to Explore the ME Tourism Market Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) organized for the first time a Macau destination presentation in the Middle East to promote the tourism of the city among travel operators and media in the region, aiming to attract more visitors from this part of the world, stimulating the diversification of the source of visitors to Macau.MGTO has been striving to explore opportunities to expand the tourism market from the Middle East, a market with huge potential. Macau is participated for the forth consecutive year at the most important tourism fair in the region, the Arabian Travel Market, held in Dubai. For the first time, on the eve of the event, MGTO hosted a Macau destination presentation.During the presentation, MGTO’s Market Division ch... read story Singapore Registers 20 pc Growth in Arrivals !/tbody> Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has announced that Singapore received 9, 38,000 visitor arrivals in April 2010, registering 20.4 per cent year-on-year growth, the highest ever recorded in the month of April. Visitor days were estimated at 3.7 million days, a year-on-year growth of... read story Macau to Tap the Indian Leisure Market !/tbody> Macau which has been promoting itself as a Mice destination in the Indian market is now eyeing the leisure sector. It is keen to attract families, FITs and wedding groups from the Indian market. The recent Mini Mart (road show) organised by Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO)... read story Sri Lanka Records World`s Highest Growth in Tourism Sri Lanka Records World's Highest Growth in TourismSri Lanka has topped another list by recording the highest growth in tourist arrivals during the first two months of 2010.An interim report of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) lists Sri Lanka with a 50 percent growth in tourist arrivals among 77 countries that have reported international arrivals data so far.The report states that Sri Lanka outperformed 23 other countries with double-digit growth rates. Saudi Arabia was ranked second (+45 per cent) with Israel ranking 3rd (+37 per cent), while Vietnam (+36 per cent) at the 4th place and Nepal (+30 per cent) fifth, Sri Lanka News Network reported.In 2009, South Asia, with nearly ten million arrivals, accounted for only... read story MGTO Hosted Spring Luncheon in Hong Kong To celebrate the Year of Tiger, Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) has hosted a spring luncheon to thank the Hong Kong’s travel trade, business partners and media for their support in the development of Macau tourism over the years.The luncheon was held at Conrad Hong Kong Hotel. Over 200 representatives from the local travel trade, tourism partners and media participated in this luncheon, including Philip Yung, Commissioner for Tourism of Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Lin Shan, Director of Asia Tourism Exchange Centre, Anthony Lau, Executive Director of Hong Kong Tourism Board, Ngai Wing Chit and Mr. Michael Wu, Chairman of Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong. Entering the new era of administration, MGTO will continue to promote... read story New Web Platform for ASEAN Travel !/tbody> A high-tech travel website, SoutheastAsia.org, will serve as the anchor for a new destination marketing campaign for Southeast Asia. That’s the claim being made by the signatories of a tripartite alliance between Singapore-based Wego, the ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) and the Bangkok-based ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) Project.When launched on 25 January the site will allow users to research, plan and book multiple destination trips to and within the 10 member countries of ASEAN. SoutheastAsia.org will also offer a special section for travel agents and others in the travel trade. Travel suppliers are being encouraged to submit content. The ACE Project is funded by United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Reg... read story We have to reposition Sri Lanka !/tbody> With peace returning to the island nation, Sri Lanka is all set to make a come back in all aspects of economy and tourism is a very Amith SumanapalaGeneral Manager, SriLankan Holidaysand Mice Division, SriLankan Airlines important segment. Amith Sumanapala, General Manager, SriLankan Holidays and Mice Ddivision, SriLankan Airlines talked to Asian Traveller about the present condition and development of tourism on the sidelines ... read story Asia Pacific Tourism Shows Up Ward Trends !/tbody> Figures released by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has shown that the numbers of international visitors to the Asia Pacific region fell by an estimated six percent in July 2009 compared to July 2008, an improvement over the months of May and June which recorded year-on-year reductions of 10 per cent and eight percent respectively. More importantly, international arrivals to South Asia showed a year-on-year increase of two percent in arrivals for July 2009, a result partly boosted by increased travel demand to Sri Lanka (+28 per cent) and Nepal (air only, +10 per cent). India, the dominant destination read story ITB Asia Buyer Registration Now Open Online The registration processes for buyers at the ITB Asia 2009 is open and can be done online at http://www.itbasia-delegates.com/buyerprogramme.aspx for all industry professionals organising, negotiating or purchasing business travel, conferences, meetings, incentive trips, leisure groups or special events. The deadline for buyer registration submissions is July 1. The second edition of the ITB Asia takes place at Suntec, Singapore from October 21 to 23.Messe Berlin (Singapore) is being positioned as "The Trade Show for the Asian Travel Market." To register for the buyers' programme, applicants simply select and complete the relevant online registration form - for MICE, corporate tr... read story Activities that You Just Cannot Miss In Philippines The Philippines offers countless destinations to see, adventures to experience and activities to do. The country is blessed with a rich environment- lush forests, tropical islands, white sand beaches, lakes, rivers, mountains- and english speaking  friendly, artistic and hardworking people who are always happy to welcome visitors and friends. Here is a list of things to do in the Philippines to help you plan and maximize your trip. Do all for a unique and complete travel experience- a guaranteed unforgettable vacation. Go on a beach holiday: The Philippines is a tropical country with one of the longest coastlines in Asia at 36,289 kilometers has numerous beaches with fine powdery white sand and clean, clear and cool blue waters. Bask in the warm tropi... read story Skills Training to Boost Business Event Sector in Asia UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, is promoting its 2009 exhibition management degree course to boost Asia's skill base in the highly competitive business event industry. The 2009 UFI Exhibition Management Degree (UFI-EMD) course will be commencing in Bangkok in June and conclude in November. The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and the Thai Exhibition Association are hosting the course. This is the third year UFI has held the degree course in Thailand.Much of the course will be done by e-learning, making it suitable for employee already working in Asia's meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibition sector. UFI and TCEB expect at least 30 middle and senior level project managers responsible for the operation of exhibiti... read story Shanghai Ready for IT&CM 2009 The third IT&CM China event will be the platform for international and leading Chinese players in the MICE industry to explore exciting business opportunities, generate new sales leads and strengthen business partnerships with existing clients.Tailored for the world's most populous country, the IT&CM China trade show is a spin-off from IT&CM Asia, the region's premier meetings and incentive travel show. For 16 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.The show begins on April 14 and conclude on April 17. The venue, ShanghaiMart Expo is located in the Shanghai Hongqiao Economic & Technological Development Zone and surrounded by many ex... read story Singapore Visas Now Available in 24 Hrs Singapore Tourism Board has launched e-visas across India, which will be introduced shortly across the country by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The new facility will now reduce the time for Indian travellers to obtain a Singapore visa, giving a general boost to both leisure and business travel alike. This much-awaited initiative, aimed at introducing hassle-free visa facilities, will commence on  April 2009. E-visas are designed to enable select partners, including visa service providers across India, to submit a visa on behalf of their customers online and print the approved e-visa through the SAVE (Submission of Applications for Visa Electronically) program. Selected partners will no longer need to make a trip to the consular offices to submit docu... read story SLTDA plans Rest Houses and Holiday Resorts for Budget Travellers In keeping with the Narambamu Sri Lanka project launched by the Ministry of Tourism, in partnership with Sri Lanka Tourism, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has initiated a campaign to refurbish the existing, SLTDA owned rest houses and holiday resorts. The Narambamu Sri Lanka project singularly aims to spur interest in domestic tourism, and encourage Sri Lankans to travel within our own country, discovering lesser known attractions among the more widely known, and popular sites of historic and cultural interest. SLTDA owns and manage pilgrim rest houses at Kataragama and Anuradhapura and domestic holiday resorts at Nuwara Eliya and Bandarawela. During the year 2007 and 2008, Bandarawella and Nuwara Eliya resorts were fully refurbished and... read story Malaysia Targets Six Lakh Tourists from India Malaysia Tourism plans to attract at least six lakh travellers from India in 2009. According to Zulkefli Sharif, Director – South Asia, West Asia and Africa Division, Malaysia Tourism Development Board, Malaysia, a delegation from that country, comprising tour operators ... read story Thailand Targets School Tours from the Middle East Exploring and developing lucrative niches in established source markets is an intelligent response to the global recession. A great recent example is the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), which, in collaboration with the private sector, has launched a campaign that directly targets international schools in the United Arab Emirates. ‘Jump to Amazing Thailand’ aims to promote Thailand as a quality value-for-money school camp destination by targeting principals and head teachers of leading international schools. The camp... read story 10 Unique Venues for MICE Travellers in Singapore /tr> With an array of interesting venues, teambuilding activities and inspiring experiences for rewarding and motivating MICE (Corporate Meetings, Incentive Trips, Conventions and Exhibitions) groups, Singapore is fast becoming the natural choice for business combined with pleasure and entertainment. Currently, business and MICE visitors constitute approximately 28 per cent of Singapore's visitor arrivals and account for about 35 per cent (SGD 4 billion) of total tourism receipts. Singapore owns many out-of-the-box venues for MICE, which ensures an extraordinary experience for its travelers looking for a change from the stereotypical travel experiences. Here are some of those unique venues that offer an excellent range of meeting facilities and function services ... read story First Non-Profit Luxury Eco-Resort The first non-profit and luxury eco-resort to commit 100 percent of operating profits to environmental protection and social improvements will be built on a 124-acre private island in the Calamianes archipelago, at the northernmost tip of the Palawan Biosphere Reserve in the Philippines. The property, named Cacao Pearl, will occupy an entire private island, with 124 acres of lush rainforest and towering coconut trees fringed with over a mile of pristine beaches, according to its operator, Cacao Resorts. This new approach to resort-communities is nestled within the eco-tourism destination of Palawan - Philippines, a stunning eco preservation area within sailing distance of two UNESCO World heritage sites and four marine reserves. The Cacao Pearl is an eco-chic ... read story C urrent Issue O ther Stories Asia Emerges as the New Luxury Travel Destination Asia Emerges as the New Luxury Travel Destination ASEAN Nations Eyes NE India for Tourism Investment ITB Asia 2010 Buyer Applications Surge Thailand Getting Back its Smiles Macau Continues to Explore the ME Tourism Market Singapore Registers 20 pc Growth in Arrivals Macau to Tap the Indian Leisure Market Sri Lanka Records World`s Highest Growth in Tourism MGTO Hosted Spring Luncheon in Hong Kong New Web Platform for ASEAN Travel We have to reposition Sri Lanka Asia Pacific Tourism Shows Up Ward Trends ITB Asia Buyer Registration Now Open Online Activities that You Just Cannot Miss In Philippines Skills Training to Boost Business Event Sector in Asia Shanghai Ready for IT&CM 2009 Singapore Visas Now Available in 24 Hrs SLTDA plans Rest Houses and Holiday Resorts for Budget Travellers Malaysia Targets Six Lakh Tourists from India Thailand Targets School Tours from the Middle East 10 Unique Venues for MICE Travellers in Singapore First Non-Profit Luxury Eco-Resort To place your advertisements in this space please contact Marketing, Mediastepsindia home | about us | advertise with us | subscribe | contact us | team support : colorvibes The news items and Advertisements published herein have been collected from various source, which are considered to be reliable. 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