Tourism Indochina: Hotel De La Paix Siem Reap rebranded to Park Hyatt

Tourism Indochina: Hotel De La Paix Siem Reap rebranded to Park Hyatt

Park Hyatt Siem Reap will be the first Hyatt-branded property in fast-growing destination, and 14th Hyatt-branded property in Southeast Asia.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has signed a management agreement with Hotel De La Paix for the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Cambodia. Under the agreement, Hotel De La Paix Siem Reap, one of the country’s top-rated hotels, will be rebranded as Park Hyatt Siem Reap. The hotel will close on June 30, 2012 for a complete renovation and is expected to open as Park Hyatt Siem Reap in the first quarter of 2013.

Located at the center of one of Asia’s major emerging cultural destinations, the property, designed by award-winning Bangkok-based interior designer Bill Bensley, was voted as Cambodia’s No. 1 hotel by Travel + Leisure and ranked No. 29 on its World’s Best Hotels 2010 list.

“This globally recognized property embodies the distinctive experience that our guests expect from Park Hyatt along with a local character that amazes those visiting this wonderful country,” said Ratnesh Verma, senior vice president, real estate and development – Asia Pacific for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “We are thrilled to add this remarkable property to the Hyatt family, adding a jewel in our growing portfolio of hotels in Southeast Asia.”

There are currently 12 Hyatt-branded properties in Southeast Asia, with additional plans to introduce new hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Busan, South Korea; and Bangkok, Thailand, which support the company’s long-term goal of expanding the presence of Hyatt-branded hotels in the markets where its guests are traveling.

Park Hyatt Siem Reap will be situated nearby the renowned 12th century ruins of Angkor, a UNESCO World Heritage site that researchers believe was one of the largest preindustrial cities in the world. The temples in the area number more than 1,000 and include Angkor Wat, the world’s largest single religious monument. The hotel will also be a short distance from Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport, Cambodia’s second largest airport, which provides non-stop service to several major regional markets including Bangkok, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Seoul, Singapore and Vientiane.

"We are excited to work with Park Hyatt and Bill Bensley to build on the success and achievements of our hotel in Siem Reap,” said Eddie Kiasrithanakorn, Managing Director, Hotel De La Paix Co., Limited, “and we look forward to creating new elements of luxury in terms of product and service for our valued guests. We believe that Park Hyatt will continue to strengthen our award winning community service programs and lead the development of the arts in Cambodia."

Park Hyatt Siem Reap will include 107 guest rooms and suites. The hotel plans to feature two restaurants, one bar and a retail bakery. The hotel will also feature meeting facilities, a spa, fitness center, and two swimming pools.

“We are honored to work with Hotel De La Paix Co., Limited to rebrand this renowned Cambodian hotel into Park Hyatt Siem Reap,” said Larry Tchou, managing director for Asia Pacific, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “We are confident the hotel will deliver a new hospitality experience to guests visiting the nearby UNESCO World Heritage site or traveling in Cambodia.” Source : Hyatt Hotels Corporation(29th March 2012)

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
More about Cambodia Rice Exporter, please visit: http://www.cambodiaorganic.com/

Read more...

Tourism Indochina: Travellers should brace for steeper airfares

Tourism Indochina: Travellers should brace for steeper airfares

WASHINGTON: Holidaymakers planning a getaway in the next few months should expect higher airfares, industry experts warned Tuesday, but airlines passing on higher fuel costs may be just the tip of the iceberg.

Pricier flights are starting to feel like a pre-summer tradition -- as common as buying sunscreen or thumbing through a guidebook.

Airlines often jack up prices as the northern hemisphere's season of high demand gets underway, and this year is likely to be no different.

In the last 24 hours, major US carriers -- Southwest, Delta, United, US Airways, American and Virgin America -- have raised prices on domestic round-trip fares by $6 to $10, according to Farecompare.com.

Blame it on fuel prices, says Farecompare.com analyst Rick Seaney: "I do expect airlines to ramp up hikes as we hit the busy summer vacation season, especially if oil remains high."

According to the International Air Transport Association, the rising cost of jet fuel has added $39 billion to airlines' energy bills in the last year. And that price is being passed on to the consumer.

Yet average prices for jet fuel have increased only 3.6 per cent in the last year, far below the rate of fare increases.

Even before this week's increase in the US, prices had risen more than four per cent this year, after an increase of 17 per cent last year.

Middle East tensions, oil prices and rising global growth are just part of the reason.

For airlines, the time is almost perfect to raise prices, according to George Hobica, president of Airfarewatchdog.com.

"It's the proverbial perfect storm," he said, pointing to a mix of better economic news, reduced competition, rising oil prices and a desperate need to make up for years of flying with empty seats.

"Considering that the airline industry has lost billions over the last decade, I wouldn't call it price gouging," he told AFP.

"They are trying to cover higher fuel costs, but I think a larger factor is trying to make up for lost time when there was over-capacity in the industry worldwide."

Mergers and bankruptcies mean that over-capacity is being whittled away and is why passengers may have noticed those empty middle row seats filling up.

United and Continental, Southwest and AirTran, Delta and Northwest are just some of the airlines that have merged in the last few years.

On many routes, that has meant fewer airlines flying with fewer seats and fewer options for passengers -- allowing prices to rise.

"With fewer competitors beating each other over the head with irrational fare sales, the airlines are able to raise fares," said Hobica.

For legacy carriers -- who have been operating for decades in a dominant position -- low-cost carriers have also provided much-needed cover.

Southwest's decision to kick off the latest round of hikes held greater significance for the sector, with legacy carriers admitting it was their cue to move.

"We matched Southwest's fare increase yesterday," one airline official told AFP.

When low-cost carriers hike fares, others can chose 'fight or flight' -- most often, they plum not to start a price war, according to Seaney.

"In nearly a decade, we have never seen a domestic hike that included Southwest that did not succeed in raising base prices."

Airlines are betting that growing confidence in the US economy will cause passengers to swallow the costs.

A survey released Tuesday by polling giant Gallup showed US economic confidence hit its highest weekly level since January 2008.

But with millions still out of work, the scope for increases is limited.

"When airline ticket prices hit consumers' 'no-go' point -- which appears to be getting closer and closer for some -- those travelers will stop flying and airlines will notice more and more empty middle seats," said Seaney.

"That will temper the pace and size of the airfare hikes."

- AFP/wm

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
More about Cambodia Rice Exporter, please visit: http://www.cambodiaorganic.com/

Read more...

Tourism Indochina: ASEAN Tourism Forum 2011 Hailed as Resounding Success

Tourism Indochina: ASEAN Tourism Forum 2011 Hailed as Resounding Success

PHNOM PENH, 21 January 2011—The immensely successful 2011 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), hosted by Cambodia, officially came to an end on Friday, January 21st, after 8 full days of business networking and cultural exchanges amongst tourism ministers, leaders of national tourism offices, travel agents, and tour operators from all ten ASEAN nations. Over 3,000 delegates from all corners of the world attended the forum this year, and Cambodia offered an exciting range of cultural and entertainment options that made ATF 2011 unforgettable.

The ASEAN Tourism Forum is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region as one tourist destination and the most important activity of the ASEAN tourism cooperation framework. The annual event—held this year from January 15-21, 2011—involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 member nations of ASEAN: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The closing ceremony of ATF 2011, which took place on Friday, was held in Phnom Penh’s Naga Hotel Ballroom. All the delegates, decked in sharp formal attire, gathered to toast to the accomplishments of the forum and to celebrate the collective initiative to turn ASEAN into one united tourist destination fueled by sustainable tourism development.

Delegates were treated to singing and dance performances by Cambodia’s most revered celebrities and artists. The evening’s proceedings also included a striking fashion show showcasing a cutting-edge modern take on traditional apsara dresses and headwear. Hundreds of cameras flashed as the models strutted down the stage with brightly colored gowns adorned with wings, small straw cages, and sequined accessories. The night wrapped up with the government of Cambodia thanking all the delegates and presenting awards and certificates to individuals who helped organize ATF 2011.

ATF 2011 was a wonderful success, and delegates were already looking forward to the next year. The 2012 ATF will take place in Manado, Indonesia. The theme of ATF 2012 will be “ASEAN Tourism for a Global Community of Nations.” Source: MoT

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
More about Cambodia Rice Exporter, please visit: http://www.cambodiaorganic.com/

Read more...

Tourism Indochina: Microsoft and World Tourism Organization to Drive Innovation in The Tourism Sector

Tourism Indochina: Microsoft and World Tourism Organization to Drive Innovation in The Tourism Sector

(TourismIndochina.com: Tourism-Review): The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Microsoft signed today an agreement aimed at bringing the benefits of the most advanced technologies to the tourism sector and driving the industry’s evolution towards the computing paradigm of the future. Jean-Philippe Courtois, President of Microsoft International, and Márcio Favilla, Executive Director of UNWTO, have forged this alliance that, in an increasingly demanding and competitive economic context, will promote technological innovation in world tourism and help the Spanish market strengthen the country’s brand as a world leader in the application of innovation to the tourism sector.

With this agreement, Microsoft becomes a strategic partner of UNWTO that will propose, coordinate and spearhead technological innovation initiatives within the community of the Organization’s Member States and Affiliate Members. It will also make new technologies available to the international tourism sector in order to enhance its competitiveness.

Jean-Philippe Courtois, President of Microsoft International, pointed out that “the tourism sector has undergone a drastic transformation over the past years and has been evolving towards Tourism 3.0, where users connect to travel websites and interact by sharing their experiences, thus directly influencing the perceptions and decisions of other users and potential travellers. Because of this, it is more and more important for tourism sector enterprises to develop their online businesses by looking to the most advanced technology. In this regard, the adoption of cloud computing is key, as it provides access to a solid web platform that will make it possible to offer more productive, efficient and competitive services."

According to Márcio Favilla, Executive Director of the World Tourism Organization, "cooperation with Microsoft is both timely, in light of the current economic context, and necessary in view of the technological demands we are subject to. Tourism has a proven track record when it comes to being at the leading edge of innovation and the dissemination of best practices, and our sector closely reflects the positive potential of globalization. Thanks to cooperation with Microsoft we will be able to more rapidly implement training tools and disseminate their content, stimulate the adoption of practical and advanced technological solutions in our sector and continue to promote tourism as a vehicle of sustainable development, in line with the position held by the UN.”

The transformation of the tourism sector: the Tourist 3.

Today’s tourists are geared towards the 3.0 environment; they are connected to the Net and are highly present in social networks. Consequently, it is more important than ever for destinations and tourism enterprises to not only have an Internet presence but also to offer their users a good experience and the necessary tools to interact with the supply side and with other users.

The Microsoft Innovation Center in Tourism Technologies (MICTT) will take part in joint efforts to develop technological projects led by UNWTO. UNWTO members will have preferential access to the services offered by the MICTT, including the development of proofs of concept and pilot projects applying technological innovation to the tourism industry.

By virtue of this agreement, Microsoft will also collaborate with the UNWTO Themis Foundation, which is responsible for implementing the World Tourism Organization's programme of work in the field of Education and Training, in a training programme on technological innovation and the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the tourism sector. These two entities will work together in actions for the dissemination of the use of information technologies, aimed especially at small and medium-sized tourism enterprises. They will also collaborate in the development of volunteer projects related to tourism innovation in emerging countries.

SOURCE CONTACT:

Principal Media Officer: Marcelo Risi

Tel.: 91 56781 60 / unwto.org


Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
More about Cambodia Rice Exporter, please visit: http://www.cambodiaorganic.com/

Read more...

Tourism Indochina: UNWTO: 1 Billion Tourist Arrivals in 2012

Tourism Indochina: UNWTO: 1 Billion Tourist Arrivals in 2012

(TourismIndochina.com: Tourism-Review): According to the prognosis of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), 2012 will be a record-breaking year as an incredible 1 billion international tourist arrivals are expected worldwide.

The relevance of the tourism industry is undisputed for most economies. On a global basis, this sector is responsible for 5% of world’s GDP and in every advanced or emerging economy employs on average more than 10% of the population.

According to a recently revealed study of the UNWTO, 2012 will be a record-breaking year, even though the growth of the industry is expected to slow down. However, the milestone of 1 billion international tourist arrivals is expected to be reached, which is a fantastic development.

The results for 2011 have already been released and many regions have a reason to rejoice. Overall, the growth recorded was 4.4%, totaling 980 million international tourist arrivals. The economic recovery is one of the main reasons why the numbers are so positive.

Europe had a fabulous year, and with a 6% increase to 503 million featured the best result. South America broke last year’s record with a 10% increase. On the other hand, some regions experienced natural disasters as well as political changes and these had a negative impact on tourism.

Middle East lost 8%, which means approximately 5 million international tourist arrivals, while North Africa lost 12%. Even some Asian countries noticed a drop which was caused by the disaster in Japan earlier in the year.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization’s forecast expects a steady growth of the sector in 2012, even if at a slightly slower pace. 3-4% is the predicted increase and if all goes well, the international tourist arrivals will indeed reach a whopping 1 billion.

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
More about Cambodia Rice Exporter, please visit: http://www.cambodiaorganic.com/

Read more...