Tourism Indochina: Beijing Olympic tickets scammer first winner in global Internet scam

Tourism Indochina: Beijing Olympic tickets scammer first winner in global Internet scam

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2008-08-07):

Just days ahead of the Beijing Olympics opening, The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and US Olympic Committee have filed a lawsuit in the US to shut down a fraudulent Internet site offering non-existent Olympic tickets after receiving complaints from around the world.


The bogus site (www.beijingtickets.com) is believed to have raked in an estimated US$50 million worldwide. At least six other websites are believed to be selling non-existent or illegitimate tickets to the Games.


The global Internet scam is based in Arizona, in the US, has been offering tickets to numerous events that were sold out months ago, and boasts of offices New York, London and Sydney. The site carries the official Beijing Games logo.


According to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), organizers of the event in Beijing, tickets for events in Beijing were sold out last week. Only tickets for events in co-host cities are still available.


"We thought we were making a legitimate purchase," Chante Parthak, whose family had bought about $5,000 worth of tickets from the site, told a Canadian newspaper. She now plans to claim her losses from Visa. "Tickets offered on other sites were not only expensive, but hard to come by. It was hard to get tickets for the closing ceremony."


News reports from Australia also quoted a buyer from Brisbane spent $42,000 for tickets that didn't arrive. "It appears to be a worldwide scam," Tony Robinson, Minister of consumer affairs for Victoria state, said. "It appears a lot of people have been taken in by a very professional scam, a worldwide scam."


Families of Olympic athletes in the US, Canada, Japan, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and even China are reportedly among those who have fallen victim to the scam. Jim Moriarity, a US lawyer based in Houston who lost $12,000, plans to also represent other victims in subsequent legal actions against the IOC. "They know about these sites for months, but did nothing. They have now dashed the hopes and reams of thousands of people who have been planning for years to go to the Games, and paid thousands of dollars for tickets and airfares."


"The worst thing is some people don't even know yet they have bought tickets that won't arrive, " said John Coates, Australian Olympic Committee president. "Buyers should only deal with authorized ticket suppliers."


By Yusof Sulaiman, eTN Asia/Pacific

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Tourism Indochina: Vietnam Tourist Arrivals Number 2.6mln

Tourism Indochina: Vietnam Tourist Arrivals Number 2.6mln

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2008-08-25):

Vietnam received more than 2.6 million international visitors in the first seven months of the year, a year-on-year increase of 10.6 per cent, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). Foreign tourists to Vietnam mainly came from Thailand, the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), the Philippines, China, France, Singapore and Malaysia.


International arrivals from the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore rose sharply over the same period last year with 55 per cent, 41.6 per cent and 27.5 per cent, respectively, while those from China, the RoK and Japan decreased.


"In order to fulfill its target of welcoming five million international tourists this year, the tourism sector will simplify international travel business procedures and strengthen land tourism cooperation with its neighbours Laos and Cambodia," Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tran Chien Thang said.


The sector plans to coordinate with airlines and enterprises to organise tourism promotion activities and diversify tourism products, he added. It will also continue investment in upgrading infrastructure and training human resources in an effort to improve service quality, thus increasing the number of tourists with long-time residences.


Currently, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is preparing for the 2009 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2009) scheduled to be held in Vietnam from January 5-12. One of the major activities is building a website providing tourism information on Vietnam.


This will be the first time Vietnam hosts such a large-scale event in the framework of ASEAN tourism cooperation, Thang said. The ATF was considered a big opportunity for Vietnam to promote tourism and expand tourism cooperation with other regional countries.


During the ATF 2009, the ASEAN Tourism Ministers Meeting, the ASEAN Tourism Ministers meeting with dialogue countries and the ASEAN Tourism Fair will be held. Vietnam is expected to welcome around 1,500 international delegates during the next year's ATF, including representatives of 400 travel agencies from key markets in Northern America, Europe and Northeastern Asia.


Source: VNA


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Tourism Indochina: Regional confab puts focus on 'sites of conscience'

Tourism Indochina: Regional confab puts focus on 'sites of conscience'

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2008-08-27):

Organization dedicated to preserving historical record of human atrocities begins conference with visit to Tuol Sleng.


REPRESENTATIVES from "remembrance sites" around Asia gathered in Phnom Penh on Monday for the third annual meeting of the Asian Sites of Conscience, opening the three day conference with a visit to the Tuol Sleng prison.The conference was organized by the Liberation War Museum in Bangladesh in collaboration with the Cambodian genocide research group, the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-CAM).


The event will bring together Asian members of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC), a New York-based organisation that represents 70 historic sites and hundreds of historic institutions around the world, including the Gulag museum in Russia and holocaust museums throughout Europe. Mofidul Hoque, the regional coordinator of ICSC, applauded Cambodia on the achievements of the Tuol Sleng museum and DC-CAM.


Hoque also commented on the importance of collective memory to national progress in countries with traumatic histories, saying that the organisations "want to look forward to the future".ICSC representative Bix Gabriel told the Post that she hoped that the meeting would strengthen the collaboration of the member states in their quest to share complex historical issues with younger generations across Asia.


"We recognise the power museums have to address the solid issues of today and of the past," she said. "We want to help resolve the underlying questions about why these histories have come to exist."She explained that the sites of conscience are all significant for their use of physical space to make history come alive and to speak to people today.


"[Our] sites are significant because they use the physical space of history to connect to people today," she said.Akku Chowdhury from the Liberation War Museum in Bangladesh said that it was symbolic for Asia's sites of remembrance to come together. "Our sites can reflect upon the past and connect to the future, so the same mistakes are not repeated. We are all connected. "Tuol Sleng survivor Vann Nath and ECCC spokeswoman Helen Jarvis, among others, are representing Cambodia at the conference.


Written by Georgia Wilkins

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Tourism Indochina: Will there a wall around Preah Vihear Temple

Tourism Indochina: Will there a wall around Preah Vihear Temple

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2008-08-29):

According to reports from some agencies in Phnom Penh, Cambodia is planning to build a "Berlin-style" wall to shut-off Thailand and develop tourist facilities around the still disputed Preah Vihear Temple by its own.

The Cambodian government will build a series of walls at "complicated border areas," while still calling for talks to mark and properly demarcate the frontier, Camdodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith and a government spokesman told reporters at a press conference.

"Both sides should start to discuss to plant border markers from undisputed border areas to the complicated border areas and some complicated border areas will be built with border markers or concrete walls," Khieu Kanharith said.

"Cambodia will allow private companies to invest at least $2 million dollars at the Preah Vihear Temple to set up cable cars for tourists," he explained, adding that the government is also trying to rebuild an existing road to the temple.

It seems that the Preah Vihear border gate to Thailand will only be opened again, when the situation there is stable, but foreign tourists could visit the temple from the Cambodian side. At the moment, authorities have closed the temple grounds to visitors. For decades, the only way to get to Preah Vihear was through Thailand, because the temple is situated atop a sharp cliff on the Cambodian side (http://www.tourismindochina.com/history-cambodia.htm).

Cambodia and Thailand share a border of over 800km with only 73 demarcation markers, the Cambodian official said on Sunday. At a meeting on Aug 18-19, Cambodian and Thai foreign ministers agreed to arrange second-phase troop redeployment at the disputed border area near the temple.

They agreed to a meeting of the Cambodian Temporary Coordinating Task Force and the Thai Regional Border Committee on Aug 29 in Cambodia to discuss the troop redeployment.The two foreign ministers also agreed to recommend to their governments that the next meeting of legal experts and the Thai-Cambodian Joint Border Committee be convened in early October, to discuss the issues related to border survey and demarcation of the relevant frontier sectors.

On July 15, Thai troops went into the border area to fetch three trespassers who had intended to claim Thai sovereignty over the Preah Vihear Temple. The incident triggered a military standoff, as troop strength on each side grew to more than 1,000 soldiers. In 1962, the International Court of Justice (or World Court) in Den Haag/Holland decided that the 11-century temple belongs to Cambodia (http://www.tourismindochina.com/preah_vehear.htm).


By Reinhard Hohler, eTN Ambassador, Chiang Mai


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Tourism Indochina: Laos, Cambodia firm up investment, tourism ties

Tourism Indochina: Laos, Cambodia firm up investment, tourism ties

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2008-09-02):

CAMBODIA and Laos have agreed to open two new international checkpoints in an effort to boost tourism, trade and investment opportunities, officials from both countries told the Post.The checkpoints will be located along the border between Cambodia's Strung Treng province and Champassak province in Laos, and between Ratanakkiri province and Laos' Attapeu province, said Sonexay Siphandone, governor of Champassak province.

"We are preparing for two international gateways in areas where we currently have few border administration offices," Sonexay said during an interview at the Laotian embassy in Phnom Penh.He said both countries will build new terminals, border police offices and facilities for all related authorities.

The Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) program is pushing for expanded service sector cooperation between Cambodian and Laos by making it easier for tourist and commercial vehicles to cross the border."In the future, we will build a modern international gateway for tourism, trade and investment," said Sonexay, who recently led a 90-member delegation on a caravan tour from Laos through Siem Reap and Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City and back to Laos - a trip covering more than 2,200 kilometers.



Written by Kay Kimsong
Source: Phnom Penh Post

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Tourism Indochina: The announcement from APSARA Authority for Bakheng Mountain, and Baphoun Temple in Siem Reap

APSARA Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap

APSARA (Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap) is the Cambodian management authority responsible for protecting the archaeological park of Angkor. Founded in 1995, it is in charge of the research, protection, and conservation as well as the urban and tourist development of the park.

The announcement from APSARA Authority for Bakheng Mountain, and Baphoun Temple in Siem Reap

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2011-10-22)

The announcement from APSARA Authority for Bakheng Mountain, and Baphoun Temple in Siem Reap as followings:

1. 300-Person Limit for Bakheng Mountain Climbers Set: base on meeting on 18th October 2011 between the Apsara Authority and five Siem Reap tourist associations that focused on conserving the ancient site, which its damages caused by constant foot traffic of people wanting to see the sun rise and set over Bakheng Mountain. thus, Apsara Authority decided that:

- Only 300 visitors will allow to climb to Bakheng Mountain per time, not per day. It will be affected from 27th Oct 2011.

- All Visitors can stay as long as they like and tourists would be allowed into the temple between 5:30 am and 5:30 pm.

- The entrance way from the south is opened for climbing and the north will be exiting way.

- Apsara will cooperate with the Tourism Police and heritage protecting police and deploy the order tourism agents to facilitate and to show direction for tourists.

2. Re-open for visitors to visit Baphuon Temple: From 14th November 2011, Baphuon Temple will re-open again for both national and international visitors to visit.

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Tourism Indochina: US Deputy Secretary of State Negroponte arrives in Cambodia

Tourism Indochina: US Deputy Secretary of State Negroponte arrives in Cambodia

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2008-09-17):

Phnom Penh - US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte flew into the northern Cambodian tourist hub of Siem Reap in a relaxed start to his three-day official visit, touring the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, local officials said on Sunday.

Negroponte arrived in Cambodia from neighbouring Vietnam for a visit which will include meetings with Prime Minister Hun Sen and an array of ministers including Foreign Minister Hor Namhong.

He is scheduled to sign a 24-million-dollar agreement on Monday to assist economic development in the country and will hold a press conference on Tuesday morning before flying out, according to a schedule from the US embassy.

At Angkor Wat, Negroponte toured the 12th century World Heritage- listed temples, which are also the nation's largest tourism draw, 300 kilometres from the capital, and he is expected to arrive in Phnom Penh early on Monday morning, officials said.

Ties between the US and Cambodia have warmed considerably in recent years, with the US providing support for the nation's armed forces as well as recently agreeing to give aid directly to the government, rather than through other agencies.

Cambodia has also been praised by the US for its help in fighting terrorism and its assistance in helping locate the remains of US soldiers missing in action, mostly from the Vietnam War era.



Source Asia-Pacific News

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Tourism Indochina: Cambodia celebrates the World Tourism Day

Tourism Indochina: Cambodia celebrates the World Tourism Day

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2008-10-03):

Tourism responding to challenge of climate change is the hot topic of United Nation World Tourism Organization for world tourism day celebrating on 27 September 2008. This topic has trigged tourism and related field the discussion how tourism contributes to challenges of climate change which are the world hot issue. As one of the principle services exports in the world’s poorest and emerging countries, tourism has the potential to act effectively on the common cause of climate change response, linking it closely with the fight against poverty.

To raise public awareness on tourism and climate change and congratulate to the World Tourism Day, Ministry of Tourism in Cambodia has proposed the tourism day‘s topic and called for discussion among tourism students under the topic of “Tourism Responding to the Challenge of Climate Change”. This celebration aims to raise the tourism and climate awareness among publicity and also provide some recommendations, adaptations and strategies to minimize CO2 in tourism sector. Responding to the challenge of climate change, tourism officials suggested that ecotourism could be one of good tourism development solution that pay much attention of environmental conservation, which help deal with the climate change. As Cambodia has recently draft the National Ecotourism Policy, many articles in this policy has also mentioned about how ecotourism policy response to the climate change and develop in a sustainable manner.

Despite the fact that tourism sector has the potential to act the common cause of climate change, Tourism Sector is not the main cause to the climate change. Yet the industries that produce much green house gas are the main causes to the global warming and lead to climate change. Tourism, however, is still one among the others sectors that address keys solution to these challenges. With this context, Cambodia tourism sector has very little contribution in this global issue because Cambodia is a developing country and tourism is just a noticeable sector accelerating Cambodia economic in the last several years.

Ministry of Tourism represents its consideration in promoting the challenges of climate change and sustainable development among tourism development agencies, business and publicity in order to mitigate negative impacts and maximize profit in harmony with the codes of environmental responsibility. The Ministry also hopes all relevant stakeholders in tourism sector will help address this issue and make the balance between development and conservation while increasing the community welfare.


By CHHEM Samnang


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Tourism Indochina: Bayon Heritage Travel and Tours ready to serve

Tourism Indochina: Bayon Heritage Travel and Tours ready to serve

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2008-10-06):

Cambodia tourism is growing notably. Cambodian Ministry of tourism is reporting number of tourist arrival were up 13 percent in the first half of 2008. The World Heritage-listed ruins have been a vital engine driving Cambodia’s tourism. Cambodia has the potential attraction and provides the real experiences to tourists as Ministry of tourism has proposed a news tourism slogan-Visiting Cambodia, Kingdom of Wonder- which reflects the tremendousness of Cambodia’s tourism. During holiday vacation and peak season for tourism in Cambodia, the reservation rate in tourism industry is expected to be high.

As yet Bayon Heritage Travel and Tours, one of the leading tour operators in the Indochina Region, is ready for the TRAVEL peak season. We are fully licensed as international tour operators and recognized as a leading luxury holiday and vacation organizer arranging private and group tours to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. Why Travel with us?

Bayon Heritage offers exciting and enjoyable trips ranging from free and easy tours to challenging activities and in-depth exploration of culture, history, tradition, and lifestyle, including a wonderful variety of cuisines, vistas, and personal encounters in the enchanting, unspoiled landscapes of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.

With in-depth local knowledge, our friendly tour operators provide holiday experiences that you will remember and treasure long after your holiday has ended. We tailor our tours to suit each traveler’s needs and to exceed their expectations -- including the most discerning of travelers. Customer satisfaction is highly taken in to consideration and is our great success.

Selecting Bayon Heritage Travel and Tours as your travel consultant is smarter decision making and choice to fully taste travel experience with suitable price that won’t disappoint you. So DO NOT Wait! The time is now to travel to enjoy your holiday in Indochina region with Bayon Heritage Travel and Tours who is a smart travel consultant standing next to you while on trip. To book your trip, please link to http://www.tourismindochina.com/ .


By CHHEM Samnang

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Tourism Indochina: Tourist entries from Thailand plummet amid political turmoil

Tourism Indochina: Tourist entries from Thailand plummet amid political turmoil

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2008-10-10):

As anti-government mobs wreak havoc on Bangkok, tourists are turning to Vietnam as an entry point to Cambodia, officials say

POLITICAL instability in Thailand has led fewer tourists to use the country as an entry point to Cambodia, with foreigners now choosing to instead go through Vietnam, tourism officials say.

"Since the former Thai prime minister put Bangkok under emergency rule, foreigners have been cancelling trips to Bangkok. Many are re-routing to Malaysia and Vietnam before flying to Siem Reap," said Kousoum Saroeuth, secretary of state for the Ministry of Tourism.

He said the number of flights and road arrivals from Vietnam has increased since fighting between Thai police and the royalist People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) broke out earlier this week.

He added that more Western tourists are visiting Cambodia, but that tourism in Thailand had fallen by 30 percent.

Kousoum Saroeuth also said the Ministry of Tourism has reassured Western and Asian tourists that Cambodia and Thailand will not go to war over the Preah Vihear temple dispute, which began in July.

"We have run advertisements on CNN, and world travellers know that Cambodia is a safe place to visit," he said.

He added that Cambodia aims to see 2.3 millions visitors by late 2008 - an increase of 13 percent over last year.

Visitors drop in Septembe The Tourism Ministry's statistics officer, Kong Sophearak, said in August some 30,000 travellers arrived in Cambodia via Bangkok. But that number fell below 30,000 in September as tensions flared between the Thai government and anti-government protestors.

By contrast, travellers entering Cambodia from Vietnam rose to 32,000 during September. "Since Bangkok issued travel warnings, the number of tourist coming to Cambodia by road declined, while those from Vietnam rose," Kong Sophearak said.

Ho Vandy, president of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, said direct flights from Vietnam to Siem Reap increased from just a few flights per day last year to eight flights per day in recent months.

He said a new road leading to the Preah Vihear temple, proposed by the government in August, should be completed quickly in order to facilitate access to the World Heritage Site, and urged Asian travellers to consider direct flights to Siem Reap or Phnom Penh instead of transiting through Bangkok.

"Thailand seems to be creating unnecessary problems for travellers attempting to enter Cambodia through the international checkpoint at Poipet," Ho Vandy said. "Thai immigration police are asking tourists for several unnecessary documents. Entering from Vietnam is much more convenient."


Written by Kay Kimsong
Source: Phnom Penh Post

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Tourism Indochina: All flights cancelled at Bangkok after gunshots from protestors

Tourism Indochina: All flights cancelled at Bangkok after gunshots from protestors

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2008-11-26):

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) has been closed today with all departing flights cancelled, and arriving flights left to the discretion of airlines, as pro- and anti-government protestors clashed Tuesday evening.

Thai police have confirmed that when the two groups clashed, what began as a war of words quickly saw the start of a gunfire exchange at the main hub in Thailand, resulting in the injury of two individuals.

The anti-government People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) is believed to have swarmed the airport on Tuesday evening in an attempt to prevent Somchai Wongsawat, the current Thai Prime Minister, from returning to the country following APEC in Peru.

“For the safety for passengers, we have to stop flights out of the airport temporarily until the situation returns to normal,” said Saereerat Prasutanont, Suvarnabhumi International Airport Director, on Tuesday night.

“I decided to shut down services after the protesters broke the door on the fourth floor of the terminal and stormed into the departure lounge. I had no alternative.”

With the protestors camped inside the airport, officials have had little choice but to cancel Wednesday’s services both in and out of Bangkok Suvarnabhumi causing transport chaos and another hit to Thailand’s struggling tourism industry.

Flights which can’t be cancelled will be diverted to Chiang Mai or Phuket, officials say.

While thousands of travellers have now been stranded, reports from the airport have revealed that the protestors have been deemed ‘helpful’ to tourists. Helping ferry those from the terminal in pick-up trucks after taxis were not allowed inside.

The airport raid is believed to be the culmination of two days of protests by the PAD against Somchai, who is the former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s brother-in-law. Thaksin was ousted in 2006 by a bloodless military coup, but still sees much support from the country’s rural poor.

Earlier on Tuesday, some 10,000 protestors swarmed the old Bangkok Airport at Don Mueang, where Somchai is temporarily based after the prime minister’s office was swarmed in August.



No growth for tourism

Already the industry is warning that Thailand will not see any growth in travel and tourism due to the damage caused to the country’s image from the political protests.

“Don’t think that the Thai tourism business will grow next year,” said Apichart Sankary, Association of Thai Travel Agents President, to the Bangkok Post.

“It’s dying now because of the political problems. In the best case, we might just see flat growth.”

Flight UPDATE

Numerous flights in and out of BKK were affected including Thai Airways, Qantas, British Airways and Emirates to name a few, with disruptions including diversions and cancellations.

THAI Airways TG992 Sydney–Brisbane–Bangkok departed last night at its scheduled time of 22:15, while TG994 Sydney–Bangkok scheduled for an 08:55 departure this morning appears to have departed on time.

The national carrier expects disruptions to end at noon local time in Bangkok, with all affected passengers rebooked onto the next available flight.

“Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport will be closed until 12 noon local BKK time, Wednesday, 26 November... THAI passengers travelling to Thailand will be transferred to the next available flight when flight operations return to normal which is likely to be by Friday, 28 November 2008.

“THAI passengers connecting through BKK to other THAI destinations will be transferred to other carriers without penalty until BKK airport operations return to normal.

“THAI will waive all cancellations and amendment fees for passengers changing travel plans as a result of the airport closure and departing up until Monday, 1st December 2008. All airfares requested for refund action are to be submitted by 12 December, 2008,” it adds.

British Airways has diverted BA010 Sydney–Bangkok to Singapore, while this evening’s BA009 Heathrow to Sydney flight which stops to refuel in Bangkok has been cancelled.

In a statement BA said, “Due to the security situation at Bangkok airport, we have been forced to make alterations to our schedule... We will do all we can to reaccommodate customers. The safety of our customers, crew and aircraft is of paramount importance and will not be compromised.”

Emirates Flight EK419 Auckland–Sydney–Bangkok–Dubai Tuesday night was diverted to Kuala Lumpur before flying on to Dubai. Emirates add that no schedules have as yet been changed for today, but they will continue to “assess information as it comes to hand”.

Source eBT

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Tourism Indochina: First Skal Club in Cambodia: Skal Intl Siem Reap Opened

Tourism Indochina: First Skal Club in Cambodia: Skal Intl Siem Reap Opened

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2008-11-27):

Skål International warmly welcomed the new Skål Club – Skål International Siem Reap, Cambodia into the Skål fraternity at the inaugural function of the Club on 22nd November 2008. This represents not only a new Club for Skål International but also a new Skål country for Skål International.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by 50 prominent tourism leaders, Vice President of Skål International, Tony Boyle from Australia, Skål Asia Area President, Earl Wieman and his wife Jenny from Taiwan and past member of Skål International Sunshine Coast, Australia, Ms Cherylynne Bullen who was employed as a relief accommodation Manager in Siem Reap during 2007 along with the very hard working Secretary of the Club, Ms. Annie Rivera.

20 Skål members were inducted on the night and were presented with their Skål membership certificates and Skål pins and there are a further 7 membership applications that are currently being processed.

Skål International Siem Reap Vice President, Mr. Khem Sophal said that the members of Skal International Siem Reap are very excited about the benefits of being part of Skal International and be able to network with tourism professionals throughout the world and have the opportunity to do business among friends in over 90 countries.

Skål, founded as an international association in 1934, is the largest organization of travel and tourism professionals in the world, embracing all sectors of the travel and tourism industry with 20,000 members in almost 500 locations in 91 countries.

Skål International is aiming at quality and supports sustainable development and responsible tourism. Skål International is an Affiliate member of the World Tourism Organization Business Council, one of whose missions is to promote ethics in business, particularly the Global Code of Ethics issued by the UN World Tourism Organization, which covers peace, the environment, security, pollution, human contacts and respect for local cultures. Skål International is also a member of the task force on the prevention of exploitation of children in tourism and is one of the sponsors of the Code of Conduct drawn up as a result of this task force.

Source FTN

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Tourism Indochina: Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia discuss triangle growth

Tourism Indochina: Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia discuss triangle growth

(Tourism Indochina: Date : 2008-12-01):

The 5th Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) Development Triangle Summit took place in Vientiane, Laos on November 26 with the aim of boosting trilateral cooperation in trade and finance in the region covering ten poverty-stricken provinces of three neighboring countries.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Lao President Buoasone Bouphavanh stressed the need for cooperation among the three countries to be boosted and for policies and mechanisms to be completed in a favorable manner to attract a greater flow of investment into the region.

Boosting the triangle region's development would play a critical role in bridging the development gaps between the three countries, he said. Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia must work together to develop special economic zones across their borders as well as to expand cooperation in the tourism, training, trade and finance sectors.

Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung expressed his satisfaction at the fine progress in the relationship and comprehensive cooperation between the three nations. He praised the meeting, which he said, offers a good opportunity for the three to review their cooperation in terms of co-developing the triangle region in order to establish orientations and incentives for their investors and those from other countries.

At the meeting, the Prime ministers of the three countries agreed to further develop their cooperation in transportation, mining, farm produce production and processing, energy, communications and tourism.

The leaders reached a consensus on the triangle development master plan until 2020, which seeks to combine each nation's development plan with cooperation among Mekong sub-region countries, particularly in the above-mentioned areas and in environmental protection.

They spoke highly of the memorandum of understanding on the creation of incentive policies and mechanisms to attract more investment to the triangle region. They expressed their satisfaction at the cooperation between CLV plus Japan and vowed to continue working alongside Japan to implement joint projects that have been agreed upon.

The three PMs approved a joint statement of the 5 th CLV summit, signed the Vientiane statement and a memorandum of understanding on the formation of incentive policies for the region.

The 4 th CLV Development Triangle Summit was held in Vietnam's central highland city of Da Lat in December 2006.

Source Isria

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Tourism Indochina: Protestors leave Bangkok airports as Thai govt dissolved

Tourism Indochina: Protestors leave Bangkok airports as Thai govt dissolved

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2008-12-03):

Protestors blockading the two main Bangkok airports have agreed to step down after a Thai court yesterday afternoon found the Prime Minister guilty of election fraud, and as such dissolved his entire cabinet.

The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have issued a statement that they will now “allow” flights to be reinstated, but that they will maintain vigilant, and threatened to retake control if the new government looked to be another “puppet regime”.

Still, it is unknown when the main hub of Suvarnabhumi will be fully operational for international flights, as airport officials now have the difficult task of rechecking all equipment and security, as well as cataloguing all damages.

Dedicated cargo flights already have authorisation to restart operations from BKK

Earlier, Serirat Prasutanont, Airports of Thailand (AoT) Acting Director, had said that the clean-up process would take nearly a fortnight, and as such the airport would re-open on the 15th of December.

Since then the AoT have reissued statements, saying that there wasn’t as much damage as they had thought, and that full services could resume much more quickly, though how quickly is still uncertain.

With differing officials giving differing opening dates from as soon as today, to Tuesday the 9th of December, no one is quite sure when the airport will be ready to send out flights. Incoming flights on the other hand are expected within 24 hours.

At the moment, the 5th of December is a popular day for a reopen as it’s the Thai King’s birthday; and as such Vudhibhandhu Vichairatana, AoT Chairman has stated that resuming operations on Friday could be a birthday present for the King.

AoT have estimated that the closure of Suvarnabhumi since the 25th of November has cost them some US$1 million.

Protestors have promised to leave the airport by 10am local time today.

Regional airports to take pressure of U-Tapao

With the shutdown of BKK and DMK, a nearby military base has been the scene of most flights in and out of the capital, but due to its small size, the base has been strained with tens of thousands of passengers eager to get out.

Regional airports could help out whilst BKK is reinstated, said officials from the Transport Ministry, and already airports like Chiang Mai and Phuket have seen special flights operating.

Hua Hin, another regional airport, started serving international flights on Monday, with Bangkok Airways putting on additional charter flights to Singapore and Hong Kong.

International governments have been working to extract their nationals from Bangkok, with Australia, China, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Spain and France already completing several chartered flights.

While New Zealand has become the first country to send in military aid to help evacuate its stranded nationals, with the departure last night of an Air Force Hercules bound for Bangkok.

Britain’s Foreign Office on the other hand has decided not to send charter flights in for its 6,000 or so nationals stranded in Thailand.

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Travellers on the cruise will explore the mysterious of the Great Mekong River

Luxury Travel Vietnam promotes a unique voyage on colonial vessel replica which traverses down the magnificent Mekong River, the longest river in the southeastern Asia region.

Travellers on the cruise will explore the mysterious of the Great Mekong River, which runs through Cambodia, Laos, Myanmmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Yunnan (China)

Deep in history and rich in culture, the Mekong boasts many fine attractions including ancient monuments, royal capitals and UNESCO-designated World Heritage sites such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

This histoire d'amour d'Indochine is a cruise of passion, innocence and affection, seen through the eyes of French novelist Marguerite Duras, who was born in Vietnam in 1914 during the French colonial period.

RV La Marguerite a contemporary colonial vessel replica consisting of 46 luxurious cabins, transports you through a inspiring journey from Saigon to the legendary Siem Reap on an 8 days - 7 nights unique voyage.

Tour prices start from USD $1050 net per-person double rates; this includes accommodation costs at deluxe rooms. The cruise can be booked at last minute, and can be customized to suit individual interests and schedules with pre and post cruise in Saigon and Siem Reap.

The Luxury Travel Company is Asia's first luxury tour operator and full travel service agency. Luxury Travel is experienced in providing special services and unique tourism products to luxury global travelers.

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Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
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Indochina is a Special and Elegant Destination You Can Find Out The Great Taste of Travel Experience

Indochina, or the Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory to bordering countries. The term Indochina is also used in biogeography for the Indochinese Region, a major biogeographical region within the Indomalaya ecozone.

Mainland Southeast Asia contrasts with Maritime Southeast Asia, mainly through the division of largely land-based lifestyles in Indochina and the sea-based lifestyles of the Malay and Philippine archipelagos, as well as the dividing line between the Austroasiatic and Sino-Tibetan languages (spoken in Mainland Southeast Asia) and Austronesian languages (spoken in Maritime Southeast Asia).

The countries of mainland Southeast Asia received cultural influence from China and India to varying degrees. Some Southeast Asian cultures, such as those of Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Thailand are influenced mainly by the culture of India with a smaller influence from the culture of China. Others, such as Vietnam, are more heavily influenced by Chinese culture, with only minor cultural influences from India, largely via the Champa civilization that Vietnam conquered during its southward expansion.

Today, most of these countries also show pronounced Western cultural influences which began during the European imperialism in Asia and colonialism in Southeast Asia.

Indochina is a special and elegant destination you can find out the great taste of travel experiences. The mixture of travel experiences of the three countries -Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and the magic of Mekong Delta River -will immerse you to the paradise gate way of Southeast Asia. You can start your journey with Indochina exploration, a three in one destination, which has become more popular in South East Asia. With Indochina exploration, you will explore a wide variety of recreational tourism activities and enjoy:

• ecotourism activities (canoeing, trekking, meeting indigenous people ,discover the Mekong trail and fresh water dolphin )and also responsible tourism
• city tours excursion and nightlife city
• the pristine beach ( Sun, Sea, and Sand )
• regional cuisine and leaning to cook
• interaction with friendly local resident
• line of natural , cultural and historical tourism

Start your traveling from Cambodia-heart of charming Indochina- where you can see famous Kingdom of Wonder with friendly resident-and continuously to Vietnam, where you can see fascinating combination of Vietnamese traditional characters with Chinese and Japanese ancient influent architecture. Endlessly, go forwards your travel to Laos PDR, where you will see the best –preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia.

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
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The Fabulous and Aaffordable Destination Travel in Asia

The Fabulous and Aaffordable Destination Travel in Asia

Indochina is the Fabulous and Affordable destination travel in Asia...

As you know, Indochina, or the Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory to bordering countries.

Indochina including Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam can provide a wide range of travel experience with different local lifestyle. Asia remains not only one of the world’s most exotic travel destinations but also one of is most affordable. Exploring deeply inside Asia; hence, Indochina will be a must destination to visit. You can enjoy and put yourself in pristine beach, tangible and intangible cultural value, and heritage site and especially you may probably found that the best bio-logically balanced destination in South-East Asia.

Nowhere else you can find the most affordable and fabulous destination in Asia like Indochina. You will always be able to receive the superb level of service, among the world’s natural and cultural wonder. Indochina may be the forefront destination for travelers who eager to taste various types of wonderful cultural and natural attraction compared to the world destination.

For more inquiry to Indochina, it is approachable or email to info@tourismindochina.com

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
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Indochina as a leading MICE and leisure destination

Indochina, or the Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory to bordering countries.

The Indochinese Region is a major biogeographical region in the Indomalaya ecozone, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom. It includes the native flora and fauna of all the countries above. The adjacent Malesian Region covers the Maritime Southeast Asian countries, and straddles the Indomalaya and Australasian ecozones.

As part of the recent Starwood Indochina road show in Australia, PCO and Wholesale customers were treated to a Thai feast at Sailors Thai in the Rocks. With all hotels in attendance having a key interest in the MICE & Wholesale, they have been enjoying the spotlight on the destination particularly with the strength of the Australian dollar.

There were some lucrative prizes provided by the hotels and drawn out on the night; 3 Nights at Aloft Bangkok & 3 Nights at Le Meridien Chiang Mai 3 Nights at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Bangkok & 3 Nights Sheraton Krabi 3 Nights at Le Meridien Phuket & 3 Nights at The Westin Siray Bay 3 Nights at St Regis Bangkok & 3 Nights at KM Khao Lak 2 Nights at Sheraton Saigon & 3 Nights Sheraton Nha Trang & 3 Nights Sheraton Hanoi 1 x 5 Nights at Royal Orchid Sheraton Bangkok

On their last day in Sydney before heading down to Melbourne, The Starwood team visited the team at the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The Starwood Thailand hotels showed their committed to the Australian market and keen to support any activities which will further promote the region.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam has recently launched its dynamic roadshow to promote the Indo-china region as a leading MICE and leisure destination. The roadshow was hold across three cities - Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, featuring over 21 Starwood hotels & resorts represented by sales associates and senior management from properties in Bangkok, Phuket, Khao Lak, Krabi, Chiang Mai, Nha Trang, Hanoi and Saigon.

On this sales and marketing mission, the team visited tourism organization, top wholesalers and corporate companies across all market segments to underline the beauty of the destinations as well as introducing new brands and properties in the region. At the same time, Australian travel industry leaders were invited to embark on a culinary journey from a Thai feast at Sailors Thai in the Rocks to a special cooking class at St James Cooking School to explore the flavor of exotic Thai and healthy Vietnamese cuisines.

“Indo-china is a fascinating region for Australian travellers, it includes captivating countries like Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, making it the perfect destination for a memorable holiday or incentive trip” said James Ramage, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, “The roadshow also allows us to demonstrate the power of Starwood as a whole, our global brands, our systems, our loyalty programs and the tangible benefits this brings to our customers”.

To support this roadshow, Starwood also introduced special deals to please both business and leisure travellers. For example, a tailor-made meeting package offering an immediate 10% discount on the master bills and two options of value adds. Also, Travel Agents Hot Rates starting at USD 84++ including breakfast for two and a discount in food and beverage.

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
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Top Two Three Days Popular Cambodia Spa Tour-Packages

The Top Two Three Days Popular Cambodia Spa Tour-Packages include: The Phnom Penh Raffles Amarita Spa, and the Siem Reap Amarita Spa tour packages...

The Phnom Penh Raffles Amarita Spa 3 Days:

Traditional Khmer Massage is a healing therapy where the body is manipulated into positions which may be described as.

...Day 2: Phnom Penh-Amarita Spa: In the morning have a city tour: visiting Wat Phnom, Independent Monument, City Hall, Royal Palace, National Museum, and Center Market. Break time for lunch and in the afternoon you will enjoy a spa package - Traditional Khmer Massage lasting for 85 min. Back to hotel and the rest of the day you will be free at leisure.Overnight in Phnom Penh. ...

The Siem Reap Amarita Spa 3 Days:

Total Body Detox is beginning with a luxurious choice of body exfoliation; this treatment removes impurities by stimulating the body to naturally eliminate toxins. A lymph massage technique is used with oils based on natural botanical herbs to nourish the skin and eliminate the build up of body fluids. The mud pack is applied to the legs and buttocks to reduce the appearance of cellulite and boost detoxification, leaving your skin smooth and nourished.

...Day 2: At Siem Reap: Begin your morning with a delicious breakfast at the hotel. After your meal, you will head over to the Amarita Spa inside the Raffles Grand Hotel d?Angkor to begin your 1 hr 30 mins of Total Body Detox. ...

More information about Indochina tour, please visit:

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
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The Top Popular Cambodia Cruise Tours Package

Koh Kong is a province of Cambodia. is a province of Cambodia. The name means "Kŏng Island Province". Its capital is Koh Kong. The Koh Kong City is located near the mouth of the Kah Bpow river in Smach Mean Chey district on the Gulf of Thailand. The city lies only 10 kilometres from the Thai border. However, it is 138 kilometres by secondary road to National Highway 4 at Sre Ambel and a further 133 kilometres to Phnom Penh.

The most south-western province of Cambodia, Koh Kong has a long undeveloped coastline and a mountainous, forested and largely inaccessible interior which embraces part of the Cardamom Mountains and a section of Kirirom National Park. Its tourist attractions include casinos and waterfalls, while an Export Processing Zone and new port facilities are being developed for trade.

Koh Kong Island Exploration 5 Days is The Top Popular Cambodia Cruise Tours Package....

It is said that there will never be a complete tour to Cambodia without the stop over at Koh Kong Island. There we will have chance to explore the natural beauties from the sea view to the pleasant waterfalls and dense forests.

...Day 1: Upon arrival at the Phnom Penh International Airport, we will get transferred to the hotel. Then we have a city tour: visiting the only one hill in town with sacred sites called Wat Phnom, and to the Independent Monument. After the lunch break at a restaurant, in the afternoon, we visit Royal Palace, one of the most beautiful samples of Khmer palace, which allows us to visit the precious Throne Hall, Prasat Khemarin, Prasat Samren Phirum, Hor Preah Khan, Chan Chhaya, and Silver Pagoda where the king regularly does the warship. Then we move to the nearby National Museum where is collective of post-Ankorian antiques. Then we go through the River Front Park whose scenery is much worth shooting before experiencing the exciting boat cruise along the Mekong River bank to see the lovely Phnom Penh city at night with breathtaking view along the river. At the end of the day, we will have dinner at the local restaurant...

...Day 2: After the breakfast at the hotel, we then depart to Koh Kong Province, one of Cambodia’s most interesting tourist destinations due to its varied attractions ranging from small islands with white-sand beach to natural waterfalls. There will we have time for a natural view of mountains and cliff. As soon as having arrived at Koh Kong and checked in hotel, we then get released with fresh air and enjoy the sunset sight from the bridge before dinning. ...

...Day 3: We have breakfast at a restaurant before taking the boat to Koh Por, an island with spectacular view and have a look at the scenery of National Park before visiting a scenic waterfall that is undoubtedly pure since it comes down from Chuor Phnom Kravanh where there are few human settlements. We back to town for lunch and then continue to visit the Koh Kong Safari, the only one place of Cambodia where the wildlife performance is available. Then it is time for the dinner. ...

...Day 4: After the breakfast, we take the trip back to Phnom Penh, while, on the way, we stop by some breathtaking scenery before the lunch break at the local restaurant. We then go back to Phnom Penh to enjoy the night-time view of the capital city. Overnight in Phnom Penh....

...Day 5: We have breakfast at the hotel and then go shopping at the Central Market, which is the busiest market of Cambodia because of its varied staffs with bargains. It is then our leisure time until the departure. ...

More information about Indochina tour:

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/

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