Tourism Indochina: World Tourism News: Beijing sees slow growth in tourism

Beijing sees slow growth in tourism

BEIJING, Aug.4 (Xinhuanet) -- Despite the increasing number of tourists from abroad that Beijing received in the first half of the year, the growth is slowing down.

The capital welcomed more than 2.5 million tourists from overseas - including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan - in the first half of the year, an increase of 4.2 percent year-on-year.

However, the growth has slowed since the second quarter of the year and is expected to continue slowing down, according to the Beijing Tourism Development Committee.

"The capital will come up with more measures and policies to attract inbound tourists," Lu Yong, director of the committee, said at a meeting in Beijing on Friday.

Places of historical interest and scenic beauty have long been attractive for overseas tourists, according to the committee.

An official with the marketing office of the Badaling section of the Great Wall said that Badaling received about 320,000 overseas tourists in the first six months, up 6.7 percent over the same period of last year.

Most of the inbound tourists are from Asia, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Asian tourists make up 48.5 percent of all the people, a 1.9 percent year-on-year increase. Next are European tourists, accounting for 25.1 percent with a year-on-year increase of 8.4 percent, and American tourists, who account for 20.5 percent of the total, according to the committee.

However, even though inbound tourism has seen a year-on-year growth of 9.1 percent in the first quarter, the growth for the second quarter slowed to 1 percent, partly due to the slow recovery of the global economy and the budget deficit, debt and unemployment problems that are hitting many developed countries, the committee said in a report on Friday.

On the other hand, outbound tourism, thanks to the appreciation of the yuan and the promotion of foreign destinations, has outperformed its inbound counterpart, with more than 1.2 million outbound tourists in the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 69.2 percent, according to the committee.

The committee said that the deceleration of inbound tourism might continue until the second half of the year.

To further boost the capital's inbound tourism, the city is likely to introduce a 72-hour window to explore the city without a visa, and other policies, according to the committee.

Kajiya Yoichi, an accountant now living in his native Japan, has always wanted to come back to China, where he spent years studying in Tsinghua University, to explore the ancient city again with his family.

However, the visa is a barrier for him.

"If the 72-hour-window is implemented, I bet many potential foreign tourists like me would love to give the city a tour," said the man in his 30s. "Three days would be enough for foreigners to explore the city."

A coordination group has been set up to facilitate the implementation of the policy, said the committee.

"The policy, once implemented, is expected to attract more tourists from abroad," said Lin Song, an officer at the public security bureau's exit-entry administration.

However, details of the upcoming policy were not yet revealed.

"It has been proved that the visa waiver for transit passengers could greatly benefit local inbound tourism, as many cities worldwide have implemented similar policies," said Jiang Yiyi, director of the China Tourism Academy's international tourism development institute. "A tight visa will only drive away potential foreign visitors."

The committee will also carry out more market promotion abroad to attract inbound tourists and make the capital known worldwide, especially in the emerging markets of Africa and the Middle East.

It was revealed that South Korea's Jeju Island has signed a memorandum in May with the Beijing Badaling section of the Great Wall to boost tourism development.

Source: China Daily/4August2012

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Tourism Indochina: World Tourism News: China, Malaysia Cross One-Million Arrivals Mark in First Half of 2012

China, Malaysia Cross One-Million Arrivals Mark in First Half of 2012

Bangkok, July 16, 2012 - The Thai tourism industry continued its strong performance in the first six months of 2012, with total arrivals of 10,496,789, up 7.60% over the same period of 2011.

The most important contributor to this growth was arrivals from China which, for the first time, crossed the one million arrivals mark in the six-month period to record a total of 1,124,234, up by a robust 28.87% over January-June 2011.

Here is the listing of the Top Ten Source Markets of Visitors to Thailand in the first half of 2012:



Below is a summary of the overall figures for the period of January – June 2012, with the percentage change over the same period of 2011, tabulated on arrivals by nationality at all points of entry into Thailand:

Overview:
East Asia recorded 5,486,941 arrivals (market share 52.27% of total arrivals). Europe 2,971,939 (market share 28.31%); The Americas 545,042 (5.19% share); South Asia 632,976 (6.03% share); Oceania 477,894 (4.55% share); Middle East 296,653 (2.83% share); and Africa 85,344 (0.81% share).
East Asia (+5.73%):
• Japan is the fourth largest source of visitor arrivals to Thailand with total of 630,058, up 11.47%.
• Korea is the fifth largest source of visitor arrivals with total of 540,523, up 4.88%.
• Arrivals from the neighbouring ASEAN countries also showed good growth, e.g., Vietnam (+24.96%), Brunei Darussalam (+20.15%), Cambodia (+12.32%), Myanmar (+12.30%), Laos (+9.16%), Indonesia (+4.40%), Singapore (+4.53%). Only the Philippines was down (-3.44%).
Europe (+11.12%):
• Russia remained ahead of the UK and Germany as the largest source market from Europe, with total arrivals of 634,312, up 12.21%.
• The UK and Germany ranked the second and third largest sources of visitor arrivals – 433,989 (+1.52%) and 357,472 (+9.71%), respectively.
• French visitor arrivals totalled 304,717 (+17.11%).
• Arrivals from the Nordic countries of Norway, Sweden and Denmark grew by 17.59%, 16.45% and 14.84%, respectively.
The Americas (+10.58%):
• The US is the tenth top source-market of arrivals to Thailand with a total of 379,430 (+8.63%).
• Canadian visitors grew by 10.62% to 114,678.
• Brazilian visitors grew by 23.65% to 14,965.

South Asia (+5.83%):
• India is the biggest source of visitors in South Asia and the sixth largest source of total arrivals. Arrivals were up 6.32% to 504,634 arrivals.
• Pakistani visitor arrivals totalled 34,809 (-2.65%).
• Bangladeshi visitor arrivals totalled 33,494 (-0.20%).
• Visitors from Sri Lanka grew by 20.85% to 32,878.

Oceania (+9.45%):
• Arrivals from Australia and New Zealand were up 9.63% to 427,096 and 8.15% to 49,365, respectively.

Middle East (-0.15%):
• The UAE experienced a decline of -0.76%.
• Visitors from other Middle East markets (such as Iran) were down 7.08%.
• However, other Middle East source markets were up, especially Saudi Arabia (50.51%) and Kuwait (19.97%). Arrivals from Egypt were up by 22.49%.

Africa (+28.88%):
• The most important source market of South Africa was up 13.99% to 35,319.
• Other countries are also showing considerable promise with a total growth of 41.97% to 50,025.

For 2012, TAT has set a target of 20.5 million total international visitors. This is a conservative estimate but is certain to be exceeded if the international economic and geopolitical situation remains stable.

Source: TATNews/16July2012

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Tourism Indochina: World Tourism News: Tibet sees over 1,000 foreign tourists daily

Tibet sees over 1,000 foreign tourists daily

LHASA, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Tourism numbers have been increasing for southwest China's Tibet autonomous region, with more than 1,000 tourists visiting the region every day, the Tibet Tourism Bureau said Monday.

The bureau said 1,588 foreign tourists from 40 countries, including the United States, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Japan and Nepal, visited Tibet on Sunday.

The number of tourists from the United States on that day reached 330, the largest group among those from the above-mentioned countries. And the following three tourist groups are Germans, Malaysians and Singaporeans, according to the tourism bureau.

Andrzej Brozek, a Polish man traveling with a group of tourists, said he visited the Potala Palace on Sunday, adding that he and his group will stay in Tibet for four more days.

Brozek said his group also visited the Jokhang Temple, a key Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the heart of Lhasa, as well as Barkhor Street, one of the city's oldest streets.

A tour guide surnamed Yang said his company is getting busier every day. Sunday saw Yang guiding a group of Japanese tourists around the city.

Art stores on Barkhor Street said an increasing number of foreign tourists have visited their stores in recent days to buy artwork..

The bureau said Tibet received 1.45 million tourists in the first five months of the year, showing an increase of 25.7 percent year on year.

Of the total number of tourists, 1.42 million were domestic tourists, the regional tourism bureau said in a statement.

The plateau region earned 1.36 billion yuan (215.87 million U.S. dollars) in domestic tourism revenues during the five-month period, the bureau said.

The bureau said Tibet expects 10 million tourist arrivals and 12 billion yuan in tourism revenues this year.

According to the tourism bureau, nearly 8.427 million domestic tourists and 270,800 foreign tourists visited Tibet in 2011.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the Tibet regional government agreed at a June 7 meeting to encourage air travel companies to establish more routes linking the regional capital of Lhasa with Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as several southeast and west Asian countries.

Li Jun, deputy director of the CAAC, said applications for new air routes linking Tibet with other countries will be encouraged in order to boost the growth of Tibet's air passenger volume.

Li said there are currently 32 routes run by six airlines linking Tibet with the outside world. The only international destination among the routes is the city of Katmandu in Nepal.

Li Haiying, general manager of Sichuan Airlines, said the company hopes to open new flights linking Lhasa with Nepal, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in the future.

Tibet was once regarded as a difficult area to fly in because of its complicated geographic conditions and unpredictable weather.

However, air transportation in Tibet has retained double-digit growth over the past five years.

Tibet's government chief Padma Choling said that Tibet is striving to build itself into an international tourist destination, with a goal of drawing 15 million visitors annually by 2015.

Source: Xinhua/2012-06-11

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Tourism Indochina: World Tourism News: China replaces Malaysia as top tourist source to Thailand

China replaces Malaysia as top tourist source to Thailand

BANGKOK, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China became the top source of tourists to Thailand as the number of Chinese tourists surged and exceeded that of Malaysians in the first half of 2012, Thai tourism authorities said Wednesday.

Some 1,124,234 Chinese tourists visited Thailand in the first six months, up 28.9 percent year on year. It was the first time the number exceeded 1 million for a six-month period, according to statistics released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

A total of 10.5 million tourists visited Thailand in the same period, up 7.6 percent year on year. Strong growth in the number of Chinese tourists was a major booster of Thai tourism, according to TAT.

China will stay as Thailand's top source of tourists if the trend continues. "All the markets are doing well, but growth of the China market is phenomenal," Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, head of TAT's International Relations told Xinhua.

China is a most important market for us, we are working with hotels, restaurants and tour agencies to constantly improve our service quality to attract more tourists. Not only more Chinese tourists are arriving, they are also spending more, Chattan said.

The rapid growth of the Chinese market means Chinese tourists like what Thailand can offer, including beaches, shopping and culture. Easy accessibility to Thailand also contributed to the growth, such as low-cost airlines between major Chinese cities and Thai tourist destinations of Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai, Chattan said.

"Sky is the limit for the potential of the Chinese market for Thai tourism," he added.

Source: Xinhua/2012-07-18

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Tourism Indochina: World Tourism News: China to create blacklist for tourism market regulation

China to create blacklist for tourism market regulation

SHENYANG, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Government authorities will create a blacklist of unscrupulous tourism companies and agencies in October as a part of efforts to regulate the tourism market and foster the creation of a credit system for the sector.

The blacklist, which will be published by the National Tourism Administration (NTA) and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, will expose tourism companies and agencies that have violated national laws and industry rules or cheated customers, NTA

Vice Director Du Jiang said Monday at a national conference.

Du said the companies and agencies that are exposed will also be punished.

The NTA has urged its local branches to enhance supervision and severely punish industry players that disrupt market order, according to Du.

Source: Xinhua/2012-07-09

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Tourism Indochina: World Tourism News: China plans huge tourism project in Tibet capital

China plans huge tourism project in Tibet capital

BEIJING: China on Sunday started work on a 30-billion-yuan (US$4.8-billion) tourism project in Lhasa city, state media said, as it seeks to draw more travellers to the restive Tibet region.

The massive development in the regional capital will include a theme park, commercial district and residential area, Lhasa Vice Mayor Ma Xinming was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency.

Construction on the first phase of the planned project, about two kilometres (just over a mile) from downtown Lhasa, will take three to five years, it said.

Lhasa was the scene of violent anti-Chinese government riots in 2008 and authorities have kept the city under tight security since then.

Tibetans have long chafed under China's rule over the vast Himalayan plateau, saying that Beijing has curbed religious freedoms and their culture is being eroded by an influx of Han Chinese, the country's main ethnic group.

Beijing, however, says that Tibetans enjoy religious freedom and have benefited from improved living standards brought on by China's economic expansion.

Ma said the project would create a "living museum" for Tibetan culture as well as relieving pressure on tourist attractions in Lhasa's old city and developing Tibet's tourism industry, Xinhua reported.

Buddhist pilgrims and tourists flock to Lhasa to visit the Jokhang temple in the city centre and the Potala Palace, former home of Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

On May 27, two Tibetans set themselves on fire in front of the Jokhang temple, the first such incident to hit the city following a string of similar acts in parts of China inhabited by the ethnic group.

Travel agents said Chinese authorities closed Tibet to foreign visitors shortly after the incident, though state media later denied any travel ban.

The tourism project will include a theme park dedicated to Princess Wencheng, a member of the Chinese royal court during the 618-907 AD Tang Dynasty who married a Tibetan ruler, Xinhua said.

Beijing has used the story to illustrate close historical ties between China and Tibet.

Other features of the development include centres for highlighting Tibetan arts and customs, the Xinhua report said.

Last year, 8.5 million tourists visited Tibet, up more than 24 per cent from 2010, official figures showed.

The regional government is targeting 10 million visitors this year, producing tourism revenue of 12 billion yuan, the government has said.

- AFP/ck: 08 July 2012

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Tourism Indochina: World Tourism News: China to create blacklist for tourism market regulation

China to create blacklist for tourism market regulation

SHENYANG, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Government authorities will create a blacklist of unscrupulous tourism companies and agencies in October as a part of efforts to regulate the tourism market and foster the creation of a credit system for the sector.

The blacklist, which will be published by the National Tourism Administration (NTA) and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, will expose tourism companies and agencies that have violated national laws and industry rules or cheated customers, NTA

Vice Director Du Jiang said Monday at a national conference.

Du said the companies and agencies that are exposed will also be punished.

The NTA has urged its local branches to enhance supervision and severely punish industry players that disrupt market order, according to Du.

Source: Xinhua/2012-07-09

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Tourism Indochina: World Tourism News: Chinese president concludes three-nation Asia trip

Chinese president concludes three-nation Asia trip

PHNOM PENH, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao left Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, for home Monday, after a state visit to the southeast Asian nation.

During the visit, Hu met Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Senate President Chea Sim, National Assembly President Heng Samrin and Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Hu and Cambodian leaders discussed further development of the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation and exchanged views on major regional issues.

The two countries also signed a host of cooperation documents, covering infrastructure, human resources, economy and tourism.

During their meeting Saturday, the Chinese president and Prime Minister Hun Sen agreed to expand all-round bilateral cooperation and double two-way trade between the two countries to 5 billion U.S. dollars by the year of 2017.

Hu said the two countries should maintain close contact and strengthen strategic communication.

Noting that the next year would be the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Cambodia, Hu suggested the year of 2013 be designated as the Year of China-Cambodia Friendship to further expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

The two countries should expand pragmatic cooperation to realize a win-win situation, he said.

Hu also suggested that the two countries should strengthen cooperation on security and law enforcement by jointly combating cross-border crimes such as terrorism and drug trafficking, and maintain contact between the armed forces of the two countries.

China and Cambodia should manage to make multilateral coordination closer, strengthen mutual support and boost communication, coordination and cooperation within the frameworks of the United Nations and regional cooperation mechanisms, to safeguard the common interests of the two countries and those of other developing countries, he said.

China and Cambodia established diplomatic ties in 1958 and the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation in 2010.

In recent years, China and Cambodia maintained frequent high-level exchanges, strengthened mutual political trust and promoted cooperation in all areas.

The two-way trade between the two countries increased to 2.49 billion U.S. dollars in 2011 from 1.44 billion dollars in 2010.

Cambodia holds the presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2012 and plays an important role in East Asian cooperation and China-ASEAN relations.

Before his Cambodia visit, the Chinese leader attended the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit in the South Korean capital and a leaders' meeting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, known as BRICS, in New Delhi.

Source: Xinhua/2012-04-02

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Tourism Indochina: Caravan Promoting Tourism Field and Exhibition Marketing

Tourism Indochina: Caravan Promoting Tourism Field and Exhibition Marketing


Well, Do you know Caravan?

A travel trailer or caravan is towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent (although there are fold-down trailer tents). It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places where none is available. However, in some countries campers are restricted to designated sites for which fees are payable.

Travel trailers and caravans vary from basic models which may be little more than a tent on wheels to those containing several rooms with all the furniture and furnishings and equipment of a home. They are used principally in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand and are rare elsewhere...

In the United States and Canada, the history of travel trailers can be traced back to the early 1920s, when those who enjoyed their use were often referred to as 'tin can tourists'. As time progressed, trailers became more livable and earned a new name in the 1930s and 1940s, which was the house trailer. In the 1950s and 1960s, the industry seemed to split, creating the two types that we see today, that of the recreational vehicle (RV) industry and mobile home industry. Today travel trailers are classified as a type of RV along with motorhomes, fifth wheel trailers, pop-up trailers, and truck campers.

News related to Caravan:

Vietnam China caravan roadshow ends

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2007-11-01):

The Vietnam-China Caravan Roadshow 2007, which aimed to promote Vietnam’s image and products in the Chinese market, ended its tour on October 31. Starting from October 27, the roadshow joined cultural activities with local people in China’s Guangxi Province and featured Vietnam’s image through a photo exhibition. The success of the roadshow, the first of its kind, is expected to open an opportunity for Vietnam to organise similar roadshows to ASEAN member countries. (Source: VNA)

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AirAsia Offers 500,000 FREE seats to Exciting Holiday Hotspots

AirAsia is offering 500,000 FREE seats on flights to the most exciting holiday destinations in Southeast Asia, China and Australia.

AirAsia’s FREE seats promotion will take travellers to holiday hotspots Bali, Bangkok, Gold Coast, Haikou, Hangzhou, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Langkawi, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Melbourne, Perth, Phuket, Shenzhen, Siem Reap, Singapore, Yogyakarta and many more. .

Travellers who would like to take advantage of this fabulous offer simply have to book online at www.airasia.com or via mobile phone at mobile.airasia.com. .

The free seats are available for bookings made from 10 - 15 February, 2009 for travel from 12 October, 2009 to January 31, 2010.

AirAsia’s no fuel surcharge policy means that passengers will simply have to pay for airport tax and administration fee.

Guests may also buy complete holiday packages at goholiday.airasia.com, where they will by able select their holiday lodgings from over 50,000 hotels. .

Kathleen Tan, Regional Head of Commercial, AirAsia said, “During a time when most people are cutting down on traveling and holiday-making, AirAsia comes up with an irresistible alternative that reinforces its commitment to grow tourism in the region.

“Our 500,000 regional free seats campaign is an important impetus to boost tourist numbers and spread the economic benefits brought on by tourism. We continue our role as the chief campaigner for tourism in this part of the world.

“This campaign allows travelers from all sectors to easily fly to our destinations and experience more of the region’s unique cultural offerings and enjoy various oriental landscapes. We foresee interest in Southeast Asia and China to snowball among travelers from within and from outside the region.”

“With the ongoing expansion of AirAsia’s fleet, opening of new routes and addition of flight frequencies, AirAsia is best positioned to cater to the growing interest in regional travel.

“AirAsia aims to increase its share in the world market for tourists and to fly these tourists all around Asia Pacific. This should speed up development of tourism and transportation infrastructure here,” Kathleen added.


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