Responsible Tourism in Cambodia to be commenced soon

The Responsible Travel Cambodia Program will launch in October 2010. This is a new business approach that requires design and implementation with clear motivation and commitment toward managing and developing of responsible tourism services in Cambodia.

This initiative is created and promoted by collaboration between SNV in Cambodia and The Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (CATA) with the purpose for business solution that positively contributes to poverty alleviation and praises local livelihood. The GOAL of Responsible Tourism Program is “to provide new, modern solutions for challenging facing tourism business today, including increased competitiveness in the rapid changing global tourism industry,” according to SNV Cambodia.

Strategic approach, advices will be provided to enable tour operators to profit from the practical responsible business management and to make good collaboration for positive changes in tourism sector in Cambodian as well as to appropriately respond to a emerging market trend in global tourism.

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
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The most popular beach in Sihanouk Ville, Cambodia

Sihanouk Ville is known as the most spectacular destination for beach in Cambodia that you can make many creational activities for pleasure. With the white and long beach extended, Ochheuteal is commonly recognized as the largest and the most popular beach, where you can relax with fresh atmosphere and beautiful scenery. When twilight arrives, you can arrange dinner and BBQ grills with wide variety of seafood such as shrimp, crab, tuna, lobster and squid over there. Dining on the edge of paradise gateway is the most enjoyable activities that most visitors visualize before going there.

With many restaurant and pub lied along the beach, you can sip drinks made of tropical fruit and partake local beer while listening to the cool music designed and displayed just for your romantic and memorable feeling. Lately at night, you can come up with dancing with local night bars on the beach and extend you smile until the sun arises then the time for viewing sunrise.

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
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The Asian Tourism Forum 2011 to be held in Cambodia

The 30th ASEAN Tourism Forum is the upcoming tourism even in Southeast Asia countries- let The Ministry of Tourism of Kingdom of Cambodia to be the host committee of this tourism forum. The upcoming event is going to be held at the newly built Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center, Phnom Penh, a heart of commercial and political alert bell of the kingdom of Cambodia, from 15 to 21 January, 2011 under the theme of “ASEAN- A World of Wonder and Diversity.”

Cambodia, on behalf of host country, would proudly and greatly appreciate to extend its pleasure and honor to all relevant participants in the land of tropical weather with its home of world heritage and archeological sites- Siem Reap- and pristine and beautiful white beach- Sihanouk Ville, where both have been selected as most popular of tourism destinations for post-and-pre tours.

It is merely a great pressure for Cambodia to be once again a host Country since its first warmly welcoming in 2003. Again, Cambodia are glad to heatedly greet all distinguished delegate and guests to Asian Tourism Forum 2011 to Cambodia with the graciousness of hospitality and wishes you the great memorable pleasure and satisfied stay in Cambodia- Kingdom of wonder.

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Vietnam on sale to lure tourist

A two month campaign to reduce prices during the low season has been launched in the major cities of Vietnam in an effort to draw tourists to the country.

A number of shops, hotels, restaurants and transportation firms in Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang have signed up to 'The Grand Sale' and agreed to reduce their prices by ten to 40 per cent during August and September, reported the Vietnam News.

"This is a good campaign," Hanoitourist director Luu Duc Ke told the news agency.

"Our company will co-ordinate with transport companies and hotels to provide discounts of 10 to 30 per cent."

Upon the presentation of their passport, tourists will receive a Tourist Privilege Card or shopping coupons for participating merchants.

As part of the larger 'Vietnam: Your Destination 2010' campaign, The Grand Sale is hoped to bring in increased revenue from tourist spending.

The Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) with the Trade Promotion Department, the Ministry of Industry and Vietnam Airlines introduced the campaign following the success of similar programmes in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
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Airlines lose $1.7 billion from volcanic ash

Airlines lost more than $1.7 billion in revenue during the six days after the initial eruption of the Icelandic volcano, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimated on Wednesday.

During the three-day period from 17-19 April, when disruptions were greatest, the lost revenues reached $400 million per day.

"At the worst, the crisis impacted 29% of global aviation and affected 1.2 million passengers a day" said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's Director General and CEO.

"For an industry that lost $9.4 billion last year and was forecast to lose a further $2.8 billion in 2010, this crisis is devastating.

"It is hitting hardest where the carriers are in the most difficult financial situation. Europe's carriers were already expected to lose $2.2 billion this year—the largest in the industry,"

IATA is now urging airports and governments to help mitigate the financial impact on airlines.

"London Heathrow and Dubai are waiving parking fees and not charging for repositioning flights. Others airports must follow" said Bisignani.

He also requested that airports relax their rules on take-off and landing slot allocation and governments to relax bans on night flights to get passengers home as soon as possible.

The EU was also urged to ease its passenger care regulations, IATA saying it was "unfair" that airlines were held responsible to pay for hotels, meals and telephones for stranded passengers when the volcanic crisis was "completely beyond the control of airlines."

Governments were also asked to help carriers recover the cost of the disruption.

"I am the first one to say that this industry does not want or need bailouts. But this crisis is not the result of running our business badly.

"It is an extra-ordinary situation exaggerated with a poor decision-making process by national governments. The airlines could not do business normally."

Source: ETB

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Mekong Tourism Forum Set for Siem Reap, May 7 and 8

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.

Source ETB

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Virgin Blue orders 105 planes

Virgin Blue announced today its signing of an agreement with Boeing for its largest order of aircraft ever.

It has signed for up to 105 brand new 737 aircraft, completing nine months of negotiations between the carrier and the aircraft manufacturer.

The order includes 50 firm B737-800NG aircraft, with flexibility to convert to either B737-700 or B737-900, 25 additional firm delivery positions secured as options and 30 future purchase rights.

Virgin Blue did not disclose the pricing of the aircraft but said that it expected to finalise its funding arrangements for the aircraft soon.

Delivery is scheduled from June 2011 through to 2017, the carrier said.

The new aircraft is expected to replace Virgin Blue’s existing narrow body fleet, while the remainder will be deployed to new routes and boost frequency where demand dictates.

“Securing this agreement now places Virgin Blue in a strong position to prepare for steady future growth as domestic and short haul markets recover” said Virgin Blue Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey in a statement.

“It will also ensure a turnover of aircraft to maintain the youngest fleet of modern aircraft which is crucial for maintaining our commitment to on-time performance and the lowest cost base possible.”

Source ETB


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Singapore Airlines launches A380 service to Zurich

Singapore Airlines has launched an A380 service to Zurich, but it will reduce frequency from the current 12 flights a week to a single daily service.

SQ346 will depart Singapore at 0110, arrive in Zurich at 0800. On the return leg, SQ345 will depart Zurich at 1200 and touch-down in Singapore at 0605 on the following day.

Zurich will be the third city in Europe and the seventh in Singapore Airlines' network to be served by the A380 aircraft.

Singapore Airlines started flying the aircraft in October 2007 to Sydney and subsequently added services to London, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong and Melbourne.

Source ETB

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
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Cargo growth boosts hope for aviation

Rising cargo volume is sparking signs of recovery for the North American aviation industry, Air Canada's chief executive said last week.

"We've seen some encouraging news from the cargo environment," Air Canada Chief Executive Calin Rovinescu told reporters on Friday.

"We are seeing a marked improvement over last year and generally cargo tends to be the bellwether indicator that the recovery is starting."

But Rovinescu is still not ready to declare a recovery, saying the airline industry still faces a weak market and must wait for business travel to rebound.

"Businesses tend to need to recover first before ... airlines that cater to businesses start seeing the recovery."

When Rovinescu took over as Air Canada's chief executive last April, the carrier was struggling financially and dealing with rumours that it might need to file for bankruptcy protection.

However, he has since strengthened the carrier's liquidity position, lined up equity funding and cut both capacity and costs according to Reuters.

Source ETB

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AirAsia causes concern for Vietnam Airlines

AirAsia’s plan for a joint venture with a local Vietnam carrier has jolted a nervous Vietnam Airlines into action, urging the government this week to stop the move.

Last month, the Malaysian budget carrier purchased a 30 percent stake in Vietnam’s local VietJet Air. The carriers announced soon after joint venture plans for a new budget airline which was approved by the Ministry of Transport.
According to Thanh Nien Daily, VietJetAirAsia will operate both international and domestic flights starting May.

However, in a letter to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Vietnam Airlines asked the government to prevent the venture from materialising.

The carrier said AirAsia’s stake in VietJet was only a ploy to enter the domestic market.

Vietnam Airlines said foreign carriers such as AirAsia and Jetstar were taking advantage of the government’s 30 percent cap on foreign ownership in a local airline.

It said the trend of foreign airlines coming into the country to purchase stakes in local carriers was bound to harm the local industry.

If the venture goes ahead, Vietjet AirAsia will compete directly with Jetstar Pacific, who has not raised any objection to the planned venture. Source ETB

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South Korea to fund Angkor road

PHNOM PENH (Cambodia) - South Korea has provided US$9.2 million (S$12.9 million) to Cambodia to build a new road that will circle the famed Angkor temple complex and reduce traffic in the area, officials said Monday.

The 21-kilometer road will be closed to trucks to reduce pollution, noise and vibrations that could damage the ancient ruins, said Soeung Kong, vice secretary-general of the Apsara Authority, the government agency that oversees the temples.

Construction will start this year and take three years to complete, he said. It will be the second road in the Angkor area funded by South Korea, connecting with existing roads to the north and northwest of the temples, said South Korean Embassy official Son Sungil. The first road extended south from the temple complex.

Tourism is a major foreign currency earner for cash-strapped Cambodia, which hosts nearly 1.5 million foreign tourists each year, mostly from South Korea, Japan and the United States. More than half of the tourists visit Angkor, a UNESCO World Heritage site in northwestern Siem Reap province.

The temples were built when Angkorian kings ruled over much of Southeast Asia between the 9th and 14th centuries.

Conservationists have long expressed concerns about tourism's impact. They say uncontrolled pumping of underground water to meet the rising demand of hotels and residents in the nearby town of Siem Reap may be destabilizing the earth beneath the temples. -- AP

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
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Mountain cycling along the Mekong Trail: a Carbon Free Travel Experience

Are you eco-traveler and want a friendly travel? If so, then try a carbon free travel experience along the Mekong Discovery Trail. Without harming the environment and gaining green house gas to the atmosphere, you can ride the mountain bike to see a magnificent landscape of the Mekong River. Along the way, you will immerse remote local livelihood lifestyle and also help improve their livelihood.

The unique experience and specialty of the mountain bike trail is that you will drive yourself through one of the Mekong Biodiversity Hot Spots where local people and non-government organization pay much attention on biological richness preservation. When you are on Mountain bike trail, be alerted to bring plenty of water (difficult to find at remote village), spare parts, first aid kid and sun protection lotion.

This mountain bike trail along Mekong Discovery Trail can be done at Kratie or Steung Treng Province. The mountain bike can be rented or purchased in Phnom Penh. Find the one that suit you and go on with a carbon-free travel experience that serves the environment and help improve remote livelihood where you reach.

More about Mountain cycling along the Mekong Trail: http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/news/Mountain-cycling-along-the-Mekong-Trail:-a-Carbon-Free-Travel-Experience.html

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
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880 million travelers last year, this year to be better: UNWTO

Many countries all around the world saw dramatic drops in lucrative tourism dollars last year, with the global average recording a 4% drop in international travelers says the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

According to the latest figures 880 million arrivals were recorded by people travelling for business, leisure and other purposes, a 4% drop from 2008 figures.

Despite this drop, the UNWTO says it saw a marked upswing in the fourth quarter, without which the figures would have been worse. Subsequently it has deduced that 2010 will see a rebound to the effect of some three to four percent.

"The global economic crisis aggravated by the uncertainty around the A(H1N1) pandemic turned 2009 into one of the toughest years for the tourism sector," said Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General.

"However, the results of recent months suggest that recovery is underway, and even somewhat earlier and at a stronger pace than initially expected."

Breaking 2009 into quarters, the first quarter saw international arrivals shrink by 10%, the second quarter saw a smaller drop of 7%, while the third recorded a drop of 2%. In comparison, fourth quarter 2009 saw an upswing of 2 %.

These recent figures also back a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) report which stated that it was seeing a global recovery which was "significantly" faster than expected.

Source = e-Travel Blackboard: W.X
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The Krolan: a Landmark Production in Kratie, Cambodia

Krolan is one of local product in Kratie Province which is made of rice mixed with coconut and bean and cooked in the bamboo tubes. Kratie province is famous for Krolan, in particular Thmo Kreae Commune 10km north of Kratie.

This product has been significantly becoming a common job for people in the province and some families have been for more than half a century. If you travel across this province, you will see the Krolan is sold along roadside and waterfront in Kratie. This Krolan is also transported to Phnom Penh markets each day but it is cooked with more salt.

It can be kept up to two days without refrigeration. Making Krolan is good business since the 40 % of the cost come from the domestic supply and this business can contribute to poverty alleviation for people along the Mekong River.

More about attraction sites in Kratie province: http://www.tourismindochina.com/kratie-attractionsite.htm
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The Kratie Trail, Cambodia

Being a famous province for its rare Mekong River Dolphin that shelter in pool, Kratie is the southern gateway to Mekong discovery trail where you can experience different kinds of trails along the friendly sunset town. In town you can hire a horse car, bike, motorbike, or even walking to view the street landscape and buildings. When seeing some of the building in town you may remind of French colonial days when the town was the river port since the buildings appear in French architectural style.

Just 16 Km northern of the town you can visit Kampi pool, recognized as the famous landmark of the province for its rare fresh water Mekong River Dolphins, either from the boat tours or from the river bank. Along the trail you may be excited with magnificent river scenery and rural friendly villages. From Kratie Town you can take an excursion through a spectacular view and even stay overnight with families in more remote island village where you see different way of lives.

Home stay accommodation have been prepared in good mood to serve you with friendly environment. You will feel you wake up with fresh atmosphere and lightening natural harmony. Also when you are in Kratie do not forget to buy such a wide range of local product, including Krolan (sticky rice) which Kratie province is famous for. Help buying local product and make the Kratie trail mean a lot for poverty alleviation.

More about Kratie province: http://www.tourismindochina.com/kratie-attractionsite.htm

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Explore Mekong Discovery Trail: The Northeastern River Life in Cambodia

Do you want to enjoy the unique travel experience while contributing your financial support to accelerate economic growth of the poor in sustainable manner?

It would not be at the end of traveling in Cambodia if you miss to explore Mekong Discovery Trial and experience the northeastern life of Cambodia where diverse natural beauty and warm-hearting greetings of the people create a remembrance experience. Mekong discovery trial will bring to explore the river life adventure along an extensive Mekong in Kratie and Stung Treng Province of Kingdom of Wonder.

Mekong discovery trail aims to mitigate and promote dolphin conservation through sustainable tourism and to diversify tourism product in response to an increasing demand for ecotourism. A wide range of touristic activities can be enjoyed along the trail such as Mekong River Dolphin Viewing, horse cart, mountain biking, house boating, local product, fishing, camping, and forest trekking which are the foremost interested activities for the ecotourism visitors, nature lovers and nature-based visitors.

Along the Mekong trial local people can provide you diversified experiences with their local product and their hospitality mood. Also, you have chance to see a critical endangered Mekong River Dolphin whist optimize impact on the environment they depend on. By using this trail and allow yourself to economically contribute to the local people will help the river communities with the positive change of local livelihood.

For Cambodia Tour
packages: http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/

For Siem Reap Hotels:
http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/hotels/siemreap.html

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