Since 1997 volume 17, issue 10, October 2014 ANDROS, THE CULTURAL ISLAND, GREECE

GLOBAL TOURIST NUMBERS GROW

45% OF CRUISING INDUSTRY IS GENERATED IN EUROPE

“TRAVEL-INSPIRED” HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE WORKSHOPS

DUBAI IS OVER TAKING HEATHROW

SWEDEN TO INVEST IN TOUR PACKAGES IN ECUADOR

MANCHESTER, UK SEES GROWTH IN ASSOCIATION BUSINESS

CONVENE – M.I.C.E EVENT FOR THE BALTIC SEA REGION

BORYEONG–SOUTH KOREA

NORTH KOREA UNVEILS PLANS FOR UNDERWATER HOTEL

WORLD TRAVEL MARKET 2014

SHOPPING AT NIGHT IN LAOS

‘Aghia Thalassini Church and the Lighthouse, Andros Island’, photo, by Dimitris Spyropoulos, Photo report - TATW Monthly 2014 © www.tourismaroundtheworld.co.uk

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Since 1997

Volume 17, Issue 10, October 2014 edition

Contents

4 ANDROS, THE CULTURAL ISLAND, GREECE

6 GLOBAL TOURIST NUMBERS GROW

6 45% OF CRUISING INDUSTRY IS GENERATED IN EUROPE

6 JAPAN TO MARKET UGANDAN TOURISM

7 UK REFUNDS VISA COST FOR ORGANISED CHINESE TOURIST

GROUPS

8 “TRAVEL-INSPIRED” HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE WORKSHOPS

9 DUBAI IS OVER TAKING HEATHROW

11 SWEDEN TO INVEST IN TOUR PACKAGES IN ECUADOR

12 MANCHESTER, UK SEES GROWTH IN ASSOCIATION

BUSINESS

13 CONVENE - M.I.C.E EVENT FOR THE BALTIC SEA REGION

14 BORYEONG–SOUTH KOREA

16 POSIDONIA SEA TOURISM FORUM 2015

17 WORLD TRAVEL MARKET 2014

17 ST. MAARTEN TO HOST FCCA CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW

18 NORTH KOREA UNVEILS PLANS FOR UNDERWATER HOTEL

19 EAST ASIAN MEMBER COUNTRIES FOCUS ON ECO-TOURISM

3

Letter from the Editor

Dear Friends and Readers, Welcome to the October edition of TOURISM AROUND THE WORLD Monthly.

Tourism offers many different experiences and challenges and one special experience that a growing number of people are opting for is ‘Voluntourism’.

Volunteer tourism or ‘voluntourism’ is a rapidly growing travel sector, with tourists of all ages keen to help make a positive contribution to a destination community in one way or another. Over 84% of volunteers hope to help alleviate poverty by volunteering. Other motivating factors are, cultural immersion, giving back, friendship and educational. When done well, it can have a profound impact on the volunteer and the local organisation/community.

Although thought of as a new sector European missionaries have been part of many countries foreign visitor arrivals for over 100 years, making them the first voluntourists! Today volunteer tourism has expanded and offers much more than before and to many more destinations than those countries of the ‘new world’.

With special tourism organisations as well as the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, which has just celebrated its 140th anniversary, voluntourism is assisting many developing nations and their communities to progress in big and small ways, while in the process giving a unique and life changing experience to the volunteers involved. Indeed, skill-based volunteering is growing in popularity and especially in big corporations, making it a new opportunity for the incentive sector.

The scope and impact of volunteerism is amazing. And as many developing nations focus on tourism as a key pillar of their economy, with ‘voluntourism’ helping them achieve that, makes it a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Enjoy the October edition of the e-journal! Caroline-Artemis Laspas editor & co-founder

www.tourismaroundtheworld.co.uk

The Zorgos beach, Andros island, Greece

ANDROS ‘THE CULTURAL’ ISLAND OF THE CYCLADES, GREECE

by Dimitri Spyropoulos, photo reporter and travel writer.

Just to be clear before we start, this is about the Greek island of Andros, within the Cycladic islands of the Aegean Sea and not the Andros archipelagos within the Bahamas islands, in the Atlantic Ocean. In this edition, it is about the Greek island of Andros.

It is the 2nd largest island of the Cyclades and the most northerly of the island group. Located just 36 nautical miles from the mainland port of Rafina (on the east coast of Attica) it takes just 2 hours to reach this idyllic paradise by fast boat, which has something for all tastes.

Andros is a beautiful island. It is full of authenticity, yet has plenty to see and do, with over 60 wonderful beaches, golden sands and crystal clear waters to enjoy. Andros is unique compared to most of the Cycladic islands with its rich vegetation, natural waters sources

The island as a whole

offers history, culture

and natural beauty

and architecture, with white painted houses and red tile roofs.

The island has a rich naval history and at one time was the strongest naval power in the world. Many world famous ship owners and their families were born on the island and till today it has an aristocratic flair and culture unlike any other Cycladic Island.

Across the island there is wonderful mix of architecture from classic Aegean houses, neoclassical buildings and Venetian towers as well as the typical pigeon lofts dotted all around the island that make an integral part of the Andros landscape.

Fal ika vi l lage, Andros, Greece

The island as a whole offers history, culture and natural beauty and the best way to explore and discover it, is to rent a scooter or car as the many attractions are spread throughout the island. There are many varied accommodation options too located all over the island.

The main port of the island is at Gavrio, located at the NW tip of the island. Although central to the comings and goings of the island it is not the capital but has pretty white houses, shops, a promenade and a lighthouse in the middle of the sea. The winds here can also be strong creating quite a wash from the ferries. Just outside the town has an impressive 20m high circular stone tower, dating from the Hellenistic period, which until now archaeologists has yet to determine its use. Some ideas include a beacon of some kind or an outlook post.

Andros is an ideal place for hiking with 12 highlighted routes that pass through little lakes, rivers, waterfalls and villages. The island has trails totalling 85km. Water sport enthusiasts will welcome the conditions on Andros with great winds for surfing as well as wonderful waters for snorkelling and diving.

The town of ‘Paleopoli’, which was the ancient capital of Andros, is home to an archaeological site and a small archaeological museum. Close by is a lovely beach where the ancient remnants of the old port used to be.

The beautiful capital town is ‘Hora’/city is a traditional settlement, built on a narrow peninsula, with amazing sea views.

It harmoniously combines the old town with its narrow cobbled streets and the new city with its mansions and other neoclassical houses. There are some beautiful squares too with plenty of choice for eating out. The ‘Hora’ is ‘car-free’ and so you can really enjoy walking around its streets. There are cafés, chic shops and interesting museums to visit too like the Goulandris Museum of

Agios Athanasios Church, Hora, Andros, Greece Contemporary Art, which is considered as one of the most important in the Balkan region.

Continuing on page… 5 4

Mbatsi , Andros island, Greece

ANDROS ‘THE CULTURAL’ ISLAND OF THE CYCLADES, GREECE Continued from page…4

The Archaeological Museum, in Kairi Square, is home to some ancient treasures dating back to the 8th century B.C. Here there are several cosy places to sit and relax and watch the world go by, around its marble fountain and sea views.

As you make your way through the town, you travel through an arch heading towards the end of the peninsula, where an impressive square looks out over the blue Aegean Sea and where the statue of the Lost Sailor is located; the ‘Afanis Naftis’.

once you have been,

you will return again

and again

While on Andros, you should also make sure you visit the Maritime museum which tells of the naval tradition of Andros and has some wonderful model ships. Hora is also home to the ‘Kaireios Library’, which has a collection of rare books and old versions of many books, as well as having facilities to book bind and repair books.

Finally the church of Panagia Palatiani or ‘St. Tsouredes’ is worth visiting. One other must visit place is The Museum of Cultural Herritage in the village of Syneti. All over the island in the towns and villages, there are traditional tavernas offering unforgettable local

specialties like rooster cooked in wine with pasta or ‘Andros fourtalia’; homemade smoked pork sausages and local wine. The island is also well known for its sweets, like macaroons and cake with nougat, honey and sesame. Inland, the island offers lush vegetation and some beautiful traditional villages, like Sariza and Stenies, with its red roofed

houses and with no cars allowed, it is a lovely place to walk around in peace and quiet, as it is just residential with no shops.

Another delightful village is that of Menites, as well as Apikia, with its thermal springs. There are some historical monasteries, with amazing Byzantine images not to be missed.

Batsi is a delightful fishing village and one of the main tourist spots on the island with plenty of accommodation, cafes, tavernas and shops. There is also a great beach and it is an ideal place to watch the sunset. Other sandy beaches nearby with crystal blue seas are Hrysi (or Psili) Ammos, Agios Petros and Kypri. Among the other excellent beaches on the island include Pyrgos, Pisolimnionas, Fellos, Paraporti and Sineti. The bays of Gialia and Piso Gialia

Hora, Andros island, Greece

are also not to be missed. Gialia is the end of a small river and has a lovely small lake with ducks. The coastal town of Korthi offers a lovely beach, a busy town with all the amenities and local delicacies. One of the islands most famous beaches is tha t of ‘To Pidima tis Grias’ (The Jump of the Old Lady). The crystal blue-green waters, soft sand are set against the tall rock rising from

Aladinou Bridge, Andros island, Greece

the sea. Close by there are some sea caves as well as the beautiful isolated beach of Agios Ioannis (Kremydes).

On the north east coast there are many, bays, beaches and coves which are truly unspoilt and offer a wonderful swimming experience due to limited and difficult access by car.

Another charming beach is at Ahla, where you will find a small chapel, a small hotel and a taverna. The beach in the cove of Vori is also delightful, as is the beach at Vitali, as well as the beaches of Lefka, Ateni and Zorko.

Andros is a stunningly beautiful island and one which not many tourists venture to, but once you have been, you will return again and again to enjoy the pure air, crystal clear

turquoise waters and the authentic hospitality and rich cultural that is Andros. ●

5

TOURISM News

GLOBAL TOURIST NUMBERS GROW International tourist numbers grew 4.6% in the

1st half of 2014, reaching around 517 million between January and June, 22 million more than during the same period in 2013. Despite geopolitical and economic challenges, international tourist arrivals have grown by 5% a year on average since 2010. Greatest growth was from the USA, up 6%. Europe, the world's most-visited region, saw 8% growth from visitors to northern Europe. The Asia-Pacific region grew 5%, with Japan, South Korea and Malaysia seeing double-figure growth. Due to such rapid growth, many Asian countries are building new airports and investing in infrastructure in order to meet growing demand. It is predicted that over 350 new airports will be built in the Asia-Pacific region over the next decade at a cost of over UK£61, (EU€78) billion. In the UK, the number of visits abroad by UK residents from Jan-Jun 2014 was up 4% compared to Jan-Jun 2013. British arrivals to Ireland were up 14%. Visitors to Scotland were up 5%, while visits from Britain to Northern Ireland grew 15%. Tourists from North America to Europe grew 3.5%, with Britain seeing growth of US tourists by 7%, while trips to Ireland grew 11% and trips to Northern Ireland were up 37%. Canada has seen outbound leisure trips grew by +1%, with leisure trips to non-US destinations up 6%. In Europe, Germany is seeing a slight slowdown in holiday bookings during the summer months, along with France seeing bookings down year on year. The Spanish outbound market has seen some growth with 4% growth in international airline trips in July alone. In Italy outbound travel and spend are both on the increase. In the Netherlands a decline is expected of about -3%. Outbound travel remains good from Australia with demand well into 2015. The Chinese outbound market is expected to double between now and 2020 to 200 million annual travellers. The Indian travel trade expect outbound tourism to grow by 15-20% in 2014.

45% OF CRUISING INDUSTRY IS GENERATED IN EUROPE The cruise industry is

growing worldwide and brings together a diverse mix of international passengers and crew to experience many exciting itineraries, multiple destinations, and exceptional holiday experiences. In a recent cruising industry survey, nearly 45% of the industry’s 2013 global output was generated in Europe. More Europeans are choosing to cruise and more tourists are cruising in European waters and more cruise ships being built in European ship yards, meaning that the cruise industry in Europe will continue to increase in years to come. During 2013, 21.31 million cruise passengers embarked from ports around the world, 55% of global passengers are sourced from North America (11.82 million), including 10.92 million that reside in the U.S. 30% of passengers reside in Europe (6.4 million), including 1.73 million from the UK and Ireland, and 1.69 million from Germany. Cruise passengers from Australia equate to 833,000 passengers, with Brazilian travellers reaching 732,000, and Chinese cruise passengers reaching 727,000. The average length of a cruise is 7 days which includes 3-4 port calls. The cruise industry generated nearly 115 million passenger and crew visit days at ports around the globe.

JAPAN TO MARKET UGANDAN TOURISM Following a recent visit of a Japanese

government delegation to Uganda, the Japanese Parliament is to promote Uganda as a tourism and investment destination, as long as the Ugandan government work to improve its image following the unrest in the northern part of the country. The Japanese delegation was amazed by the potential and opportunities Uganda has to offer, especially in tourism and agriculture. The Uganda Tourism Board is investing UK£1.3, (EU€1.8) million this year to promote Uganda’s tourism potential in the UK, USA and Germany. The Ugandan tourism sector is thought to direct and indirectly employ 240,000 jobs. Uganda’s tourism earnings reached over UK£61, (EU€78) million in 2012, making tourism its top foreign exchange earners. International companies who invest in Uganda also open the door for investment in all the East African Countries.

6

TOURISM News

Hydra Island, Greece

EUROPEANS ARE TOP TOURISTS FOR EUROPEAN DESTINATIONS In 2013

international arrivals grew by 5.4%, with the majority of tourists coming from Germany and the UK. Nearly 50% of all international arrivals in Europe came from only 8 countries in 2013; Germany with 14% of all international arrivals in Europe, followed by the UK with 9%. Russia is 3rd with a 6% contribution. France is in 4th place followed by the Netherlands and Italy. 7th place sees the 1

st extra-European market,

the USA, with a substantial growth of arrivals in 2013. In terms of year on year growth from 2012-2013, Russia’s growth was up 13%, while the UK and German saw modest growth. These top markets are expected to remain top source markets until 2016. The Chinese market is expected to increase. In 2013 China’s share of international arrivals in Europe was just 1.3%, but its outbound market grew by 23%! Overall, until 2016 international arrivals to Europe is expected to grow by 3.8%, with more growth coming from the USA, with approx. 27% of all foreign visitors coming from these 3 nations. The spread of tourism between north and south Europe also shows differences with western European countries being visited more by tourists from the same source markets. North Europe can also expect more visitors from the USA. Southern European nations will see its top source markets continue to be from northern Europe; the UK, Germany and France. Europe’s success as a travel destination is set to continue as it is an attractive destination for both Europeans and overseas visitors alike.

95% LESS VISITS TO ANCIENT EGYPTIAN MONUMENTS Since the start of the

political unrest in Egypt, tourism to the country has suffered with a drop of 95% in visits to top sites since 2011. Revenues have fallen from UK£250, (EU€320) million in 2010 to just UK£10.5, (EU€13.45) million in 2014. The only place seeing steady tourists is the Red Sea resorts, but top historical sites in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan are seeing only a few tourists compared to normal numbers. The drop is causing problems for the government to pay its employees and many have left the tourism sector to find other work. Figures are even lower than seen after the 1997 massacre of tourists at the Hatshepsut temple in the Valley of the Kings.

POSITIVE TOURISM OUTLOOK FOR IRELAND Overseas visitors to the Republic of

Ireland have grown by 10% in the first 7 months of 2014. Overseas visitors to Northern Ireland from Jan-Apr 2014 grew by 4%. With British holidaymakers increasing by 15% year on year. Bookings are also positive for the remainder of the year. Tourism Ireland has launched an UK£6.60, (EU€11) million autumn campaign to boost late-season travel from around the globe. Ireland can see as much as 30% of annual overseas tourism business arrive between September to December. Ireland and Northern Ireland saw record growth from all overseas markets. Total overseas air and sea passengers to Ireland were up +6% for the first 7 months of the year.

ETHIOPIA NEW TRAM RAILWAY China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group is

building a new 2-line tramline in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, due for completion by January 2015. The specially built trams work in pairs and can travel up to 70km p.h and have a lightweight framework and low floor. With altitudes of 2400m along the route, the windows have tinted windows and long-lasting rubber due to the heat. One tramline will run 16.9km north-south from Menelik Square to Kaliti, and the other 17.4km east-west from Ayat to Tor Hailoch, while to 2 tracks will share tracks for a 2.7km section between Lideta and Meskel Square. This is seen as the start of more Chinese investment across Africa where light rail lines could be built in Kenya, Congo, Zimbabwe, Egypt and Nigeria.

7

UK REFUNDS VISA COST FOR ORGANISED CHINESE TOURISTS GROUPS The UK is to offer a refund for

the cost of up to 25,000 visas for Chinese tourists coming to the UK in an organised group in a bid to attract more Chinese to the UK. This is one of several agreements to build the relationship between the two nations. Business deals worth UK£2.6 (EU€3.2) billion have also been agreed in UK Shipping, golf courses and healthcare, for the Chinese, while the British will help the Chinese build their rail infrastructure and websites. There will also be no need for tourist groups to obtain a transit visa, which will make it easier for Chinese tourists to travel via British airports for international travel. This is aimed at building more UK airport hubs for direct flights to China and then onwards to Europe. Additional flights between the 2 countries have been agreed and the UK is to spend UK£1.6, (EU€.2) million on marketing Britain in China in the next year.

GREECE, TOP DESTINATION FOR SINGAPOREANS Singapore travellers

are exploring the charms of Europe and its less traditional destinations based on a recent survey. Ask where they planned to go in 2015, Greece, which had seen huge growth in 2014, was the top answer. Then the destinations of Switzerland, the UK, France, Italy, the Czech Republic and Hungary. 44% of Singaporeans plan their holidays 3 months in advance, with 34% planning 6 months in advance. Singaporeans also value cultural interactions as their ideal enriching experience while on holiday. Longer holidays are also increasing with 33% taking 10-12 days to travel, an increase from 2013. 34% take a week off at a time. Singapore travellers are also travelling further to places like the Americas. ●

www.tourismaroundtheworld.co.uk

The Class

‘TRAVEL-INSPIRED’ HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE WORKSHOPS

by Joanne-Marie (JM) de la Rama.

Last September we featured a special travel and lifestyle website www.msjmdelarama.com. It is surprising to know that besides the travel and lifestyle blogs that Ms. JM dela Rama writes and photographs, she also organises a monthly ‘travel-inspired’ health and lifestyle workshop with a wellness advocate and friend Mrs. Aileen de Guzman.

Snacks and Centerpieces

Aileen, a green living proponent and raw foodist who studied at Nourished Kitchen in the U.S. has been teaching raw food and nutrition for 4 years. She’s also been featured in local magazines and TV shows. JM started organising the above-mentioned workshops with Aileen last August for some friends, which eventually lead to interest from people outside her circle.

Their goal is to have this kind of workshop to inspire people to live a healthier lifestyle by means of introducing raw, superfoods, and organic ingredients to their daily menus, which are palatable and delicious.

You may ask why health and lifestyle?

“HEALTH because for us to be able to take care of others and

accomplish our purpose in our lives, we need to be good stewards of our bodies. We need to be able to take care of ourselves first.

8

LIFESTYLE because we ought to live life to the fullest and

take advantage of our daily blessings. Being healthy and embracing our blessings should be a lifestyle.” - JM dela Rama

Recently, they conducted a Greek/Mediterranean-inspired health and lifestyle workshop for Kidney Cleanse and Internal Stress Management. The recipes that they learned included:

● Mediterranean Couscous in Cucumber cups ● Sprouted Chickpea Hummus with Sunflower Seed Crackers ● Falafel Patties with Tabbouleh Salad ● Berry Sorbet with Chocolate Swirl

It was such a fun, relaxing and interactive class that eventually all the participants started to stay at the kitchen counter to see Aileen demonstrate each recipe up-close and try each meal with ample samplings. Others even took home some Hummus.

Medi terranean Couscous in Cucumber Cups

With such kind of workshops, people can enjoy learning about health while ‘travelling’ the world through tasting international themed recipes.

Their next workshop will be on October 25, 2014, a Mexican-inspired Liver Cleanse & Detoxifying Strategies Workshop which will feature recipes such as: Cleansing Margarita, Maca Supreme Almondigas Soup, Fiesta Salad with Cilantro Dressing, Spiced Hemp Taquitos and Mojito Cacao Tart. Ole! ●

AVIATION News

BRITISH AIRWAYS TESTS COLOUR CHANGING BLANKETS

BA are to test ‘happiness blankets’ which change colour according to the passengers emotions. Is it the latest in BA’s development to try to help the crew serve its passengers better. The blanket has optical fibre woven into it and uses neuro-sensors to measure a person’s brainwaves.

It then changes colour, from red to blue, to show when passengers are at their most relaxed and meditative. The blanket connects with a headset via Bluetooth that tracks the brainwaves and tiny LEDs glow accordingly. The blankets are to be tried on trans-Atlantic flights and help the crew determine when and what to serve at mealtimes, what movie options to offer, the level to put the onboard lighting at, etc.

DUBAI IS OVER TAKING HEATHROW Dubai International is

to overtake London’s Heathrow as the world’s largest international airport. An expansion plan has been agreed for the Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central. Dubai International is currently the world’s 7th busiest airport, handling 66.4 million passengers. Estimated for completion in 6-8 years, the new airport would be able to cater for more than 200 million passengers a year. The expansion plan would be the biggest airport project in the world covering an area of 56sq.km. In the first phase of the plan, Al Maktoum International airport plans to extend the runways and terminal space to handle 120 million passengers and 100 double-decker Airbus 380 jets at the same time. Dubai’s aviation sector including tourism and related businesses would support over 322,000 jobs in the emirate and contribute 28% to its GDP by 2020. At present, the busiest airport in the world is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, handling 94.4 million passengers in 2013.

LIAT LAUNCHES FLIGHTS TO HAITI The Caribbean Airline,

LIAT is to launch flights from Santo Domingo to the capital city of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, from December 2014. The new route is based on customer demand and helps connections across the Caribbean region, benefiting intra-regional tourism. Haiti is targeting tourists from Martinique, Guadeloupe and the Dominican Republic, where it recently opened a tourism office. The new route will be part of a connection chain including Antigua, Dominica and Santo Domingo. The new service will see Dominica receive 8 additional flights per week.

9

IBERIA RETURNS TO MONTEVIDEO The Spanish national

carrier, Iberia is to return to Uruguay following a gap of 18 months, by offering up to 2,300 seats on a weekly basis. The service will be Madrid-Montevideo and Montevideo-Madrid with 4 weekly flights using Airbus A340s on the route. The carrier will connect Uruguay to 70 destinations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East with flights from Madrid's Adolfo Suarez-Barajas Airport. With this route restarting, Iberia will strengthen its position between Europe and Latin America, its most important market. Iberia offers 200 weekly direct flights to 16 Latin American countries. Iberia recently acquired 8 next-generation Airbus 350s and 8 Airbus 330-200s for use on long-haul flights. Uruguay has seen improved air links to Europe with Iberia's return and the flights offered by Air Europa since 2013. Iberia started flying the Spain-Uruguay route in 1946, but stopped serving Montevideo in 2013 even though its planes were always full. The route cancellation was due to Iberia's integration into IAG. With this, Air Europa started offering a service between Spain and Uruguay following a request from Uruguay’s government and business community.

INCREASED TOURISM ARRIVALS TO GREECE THANKS TO LOW COST AIRLINE SCHEDULE Ryanair’s 2015 summer

timetable will see 3 new routes added from Athens; Brussels-Charleroi, Rome-Ciampino and Warsaw-Modlin. Passengers from Greece will be able to choose from 9 routes from Athens, and with a range of new services on offer like numbered seats, free 2nd baggage, reduced fees, programme business plus and family service, as well as being able to purchase more easily their tickets from the renewed website will boost the airlines status in Greece. The new flights will support 1,700 local jobs at Athens International Airport. Many Greek consumers already choose Ryanair for its low prices, superior customer service and varied choice of routes. The Ryanair schedule will also include more flights scheduled to London (2xdaily), Milan and Thessaloniki (6xdaily), offering 126 weekly return flights.

KENYA AIRWAYS ALL FEMALE CREW It was a 1st in aviation

history when Kenya Airways’ fourth B787-8 Dreamliner took to the skies from the Boeing assembly plant to Nairobi by an all-female crew. Captain Irene was the 1st African female B787 Captain to be checked out worldwide. This year a further 2 aircraft will be delivered and another 3 of the current order in early 2015. On special occasions in the past like International Women’s Day, Kenya Airways operated flights with all female crews; a sign of changing times and new opportunities for women who dreamt of flying as well as in the cockpit. Kenya Airways plans a rapid fleet expansion in the next decade doubling the present number of aircraft in operation. ●

10

LATIN AMERICA News

The Crater , a Magal lanes, Chi le

MAGALLANES-CHILE SEES 630,000 TOURISTS The economy of the

Magallanes region, located in the extreme south of Chile has received an injection of UK£135, (EU€173) million from the 630,000 tourists is saw arrive by air, sea or land during 2013. The 4 main points of access to the region are Torres del Paine National Park; Magellan Strait, Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn. Tourist figures are expected to rise by 5% during 2014 to reach 660,000. The rise will mainly come from cruise tourism. With 103 cruise calls from September onwards, the region expects to receive 63,000 visitors by sea during the coming season, which are estimated to spend approx UK£24, (EU€31) per head per day. Magallanes saw 160,000 foreign tourist arrivals, of which 24.4% were from Argentina, 19.5% were from USA and 8% from Germany, among others. Tourist arrival targets are set for a growth of 7% by 2018 equating to 770,000. Arrivals would be split 344,000, (up 22%) for entry via Torres del Paine; 403,000 via the Magellan strait; Tierra del Fuego seeing 12,000 and Cape Horn seeing 9,000 arrivals. At present the region cannot cater for such large numbers and needs investment in accommodation, transport, as well as air connectivity. At Torres del Paine, there is a need for more paths and hanging bridges, as well as more facilities for nautical activities and marinas for yachts. In the Magellan Strait there is little infrastructure for holding conventions, congresses and other activities. Tierra del Fuego is also missing maritime connectivity to Porvenir and lacks tourism infrastructure. At Cape Horn better air connectivity and improved passenger facilities arriving from Ushuaia to Puerto Navarino are needed.

11

SWEDEN TO INVEST IN TOUR PACKAGES IN ECUADOR Ecuador as a tourist

destination in Sweden generated business of approx. UK£331, (EU€424) thousands in tour packages which include major attractions such as Quito, the Galapagos and Otavalo Isalas. With the campaign ‘All you need is Ecuador', the Ecuadorian chef, Pablo Villalta, who is well known in Sweden made a culinary show as part of the presentation. Ecuador is an attractive destination for Swedish tourists due to its nature tourism, especially the Galapagos Archipelago. Ecuador’s main competitor for nature tourism in the Swedish market is Peru, while for adventure tourism it is Argentina, Chile and Costa Rica. Although the Swedish market is small for Ecuador, Swedish arrivals increased by 21.9% between 2011 and 2012. In 2013 Ecuador received 1.36 million foreign tourists.

BARBADOS LAUNCHES NEW TOURISM BODIES The island of Barbados has

launched its new tourism divisions; the Barbados Tourism Marketing and the Barbados Tourism Product Authority. Originally all part of the Barbados Tourism Authority, the two new sides will continue to work closely to make sure Barbados is kept at the forefront of the global tourism industry. Barbados Tourism Marketing will assume responsibility for all destination marketing while the Barbados Tourism Product will focus solely on the development and improvement of the island’s current and future tourism offerings. With new nonstop flights from New York and Atlanta via Delta Air Lines starting this winter to the Caribbean island, Barbados continues to attract tourists with all it has to offer. In addition the island is playing host to a number of events such as the Barbados International PRO Surf Fest 2014, the 5th annual Barbados Food & Wine and Rum Festival and the Classical Pops Festival.

The Morro Fortress, La Havana, Cuba

CUBA TOURISM COMMITMENT Cuba wishes to receive 3 million foreign visitors before

the end of 2014. With the global economic turndown still an issue, fewer arrivals from Europe and Argentina have been noted. Combined with the US blockade, prohibiting US citizens to visit the island, which represents 50% of the tourist market in the Caribbean . Improvements in tourism are also key in accommodation, gastronomy, transportation and craftwork. Cuba is known for its sea and sun, but needs to diversify its offering by highlighting local culture, heritage and city tours. With the opening of the new Tourism University, Cuba will be producing a high number of skilled labour and with many new investments all over the country, especially in the north and in Camaguey, Cuba’s tourism industry is set to improve hugely in the future. ●

M.I.C.E News

Manchester docklands, UK

MANCHESTER, UK SEES GROWTH IN ASSOCIATION BUSINESS Conferences and

business events generated UK£823, (EU€1,053) million for Greater Manchester's economy during 2013. There was a 76% increase in economic impact from the association market, up from UK£185 (EU€237) million in 2011 to UK£325 (EU€416) million in 2013. Increased numbers of overseas visitors attending a conference or business event in Greater Manchester, grew by 64% from 171,000 (2011) to 281,000 in 2013. Overall Greater Manchester welcomed 4.9 million delegates and serviced 7.9 million delegate days throughout 2013. Manchester is now attracting higher spending delegates, increasingly from overseas markets which have made up the shortfall where fewer events have been held. Association meetings have a higher economic value, but they are also essentially linked to Manchester’s academic and industry strengths, creating invaluable opportunities for the transfer of knowledge and allowing Greater Manchester to truly stand out on the global stage.

INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON INFORMATION DISPLAY - DAEGU SOUTH KOREA

The 14th International Meeting on Information Display (IMID 2014) saw record-breaking attendance at the 2014 conference in Daegu, South Korea recently. Considered the premier education and network channel for industry officials, IMID 2014 attracted over 1,800 participants from 25 countries. IMID is one of the world’s top 3 display industry conferences, joining Display Week in America and International Display Workshops in Japan. South Korea dominates the global display industry, bringing attention to the country’s academic circles, many of which are based in and around Daegu, making the city a hub for research and development.

At IMID 2014, the Young Scientist Forum gave students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of industry-wide academic trends. IMID 2014 was joined by the LED and Display Expo 2014 and the IT Convergence Expo Korea 2014, which took place at the same time. The expos showcased the latest in display technology, including curved display, foldable tablets, flexible display and transparent display. For over 12 years the Daegu Metropolitan City Government has played a supporting role in the growth of IMID, recognising information display technology as a key regional industry. The Daegu Convention and Visitors Bureau also worked with IMID’s organisers to provide budgetary support, consultation and marketing assistance. Promotional efforts have contributed to attendance increases. IMID offers participants access to the latest academic advances and research trends, fueling technological advancement. IMID 2015 will take place from 18-21 August 2015 again in Daegu.

PRAGUE CONGRESS ON TOP The Czech Republic’s capital city, Prague is hosting

many events at this time of year; it’s busiest. This year, Prague hosts a number of key congresses in the field of medicine, science and research or education. The largest being the 26th Annual Conference of European Association for International Education (EAIE), which attracts more than 5,000 delegates from all over the world. Just last month 1,000 criminologists from all over the world came to Prague to attend the 14th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology (ESC). Other events include Prague European Days of Internal Medicine (PEDIM), 22nd Congress of the European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery (EACMFS) and the 12th International Symposium on Concrete Roads. Returning to Prague after 19 years will be the 17th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Clinical Virology (ESCV). Other events to come include international events on a large scale like the 11th European Conference of Non-Destructive Testing (ECNDT 2014), the 15th European Congress of Neurosurgery (EANS 2014) and the 16th Biennial Meeting of the European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID 2014).

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M.I.C.E News

The Lietuvos Parodu Centre, Vi lnius, L i thuania ,

ICCA & THE MEETINGS SHOW UK After 2 successful events, the Meetings Show

UK has received ‘ICCA Supported Show’ status. ICCA supported shows are major meetings industry events which contain a strong international dimension, and with whom ICCA has set up a multi-year collaborative agreement to enable ICCA members to get the best out of exhibiting at or visiting them. The UK’s meetings market is one of the most important sources of outbound international association meetings. The Meetings Show UK provides a powerful channel for ICCA members into this market. ICCA plan to create an even stronger association buyer programme, while ensuring exhibiting ICCA members are able to get more from the event. The Meetings Show UK offers a fully hosted buyer programme which will accommodate 1,500 buyers, 750 of which will be from Europe and beyond. The Meetings Show UK 2015 takes place 7-9 July at Olympia London.

NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT FOR CONTENDAM The UK

based Conference & Association agency ‘Contendam’ has appointed the well-

known meetings industry professional, Jude Cosway, as a Business Development Consultant. Jude has worked in the Associations sector in Glasgow, Edinburgh and London and specialises in destination marketing and business development. She has worked for 2 Convention Bureauxs, 2 PCO's operating inbound and outbound conferences, 2 major international conference centres, 2 hotel companies and Sodexho hospitality over the years and brings over 34 years experience to Contendam.

CHIBA IS ‘THE NATURAL CHOICE’ FOR M.I.C.E The Chiba Convention Bureau and

International Center (CCB-IC) is expanding its marketing activities due to ever increasing industry competition, by aiming their 1st promotional video at foreign markets and showing that Chiba is the efficient business event destination for all the MICE sector. The video also highlights the Chiba Prefecture’s plentiful greenery, suitability as a business event destination, meeting facilities, tourist attractions, shopping and leisure facilities, local delicacies, and its appeal for post-convention activities.

CHILE TO HOST ADVENTURE TRAVEL WORLD SUMMIT 2015 The Latin American

nation of Chile has won the bid to host the Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS) in 2015. The adventure tourism industry’s premier annual gathering will take place from 5-8 October in Puerto Varas, in the Lake Region of Chile. The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) felt that as a long time member and partner of the ATTA, Chile is committed to adventure travel as a path toward sustainable tourism in the country. Chile will have the chance to showcase its adventure potential to approx 700 delegates from around the world at the Summit whose aim is to learn, be inspired and to connect further the US$263 billion adventure travel sector. Chile has improved many aspects of its adventure tourism sector and was ranked in 2011 as the top emerging destination for Adventure Travel. During the summit, the educational speeches and workshops will focus on adventure travel standards, partnerships and innovation while keeping an eye on marketing to international audiences and community development best practices. In 2013, the Chile Adventure Week proved a huge success showing tour operators in Chile the depth and variety of needs of the international tour operator community. By hosting the ATWS it will continue this education. Chile has immense potential in the adventure sector, thanks to its people, its beautiful landscapes, national parks and the high quality of its adventure operators. Chile has 10 Biosphere Reserves (UNESCO) and almost 20% of the country is

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protected. Activities in well-known regions such as the Atacama Desert, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego include world class trekking, fly fishing, kayaking, mountain climbing, and horseback riding. Summit delegates will have the opportunity to experience Chile’s adventure travel offerings through Pre-Summit Adventures and Day of Adventures offered prior to the start of the ATWS.

CONVENE – M.I.C.E EVENT FOR THE BALTIC SEA REGION CONVENE 2015,

is the annual business to business 2 day event for the meetings industry for the countries of the Baltic. It offers an international showcase for the regional meetings industry which accelerates the interest in, and demand for, holding meetings, incentives and conferences in the region. Launched by Vilnius Convention Bureau the event offers a fully hosted buyer programme which accommodates 160+ qualified buyers from across Europe. Up to 100 exhibitors including convention bureaux, hotels, conference centres, special venues, DMCs, PCOs, specialist suppliers from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Russia Finland, Sweden and Belarus present their meeting products and services. The event is supported by a major professional education programme and a series of high quality business networking events. Convene also offers a number of fam tours within the region. Registration for those wishing to attend the 3rd edition of Convne is now open. The event will take place from 11-12 February at the Litexpo congress centre in Vilnius, Lithuania. www.convene.lt

MCEC’S BIGGEST SUCCESS EVER

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has officially completed its most successful month ever, hosting over 100 events, attracting over 87,600 delegates, achieving just under UK£5.66, (EU€7,24) million in operating revenue and generating over UK£19, (EU€24) million in economic benefit for Victoria. The achievement was reached while having to turn away 19.5% of new business due to lack of available space. The August results reflect the best year to date to for the venue. The state recently hosted ‘Victoria Tourism Week’, which promoted the growth of the industry and the benefits of the visitor economy with business events worth AUS$1.2 billion annually and creating 22,600 jobs. MCEC's state-of-the-art facilities, reputation and success in hosting world class business events continue to attract and secure more of them for Victoria. The venue is exceeding expectations in many areas including customer satisfaction and its wide and varied catering and hospitality offerings. ●

Boryeong, South Korea

BORYEONG–SOUTH KOREA’S SURPRISING DESTINATION by Caroline-Artemis Laspas, editor

On the west coast of South Korea, lies the region of Boryeong and home to the wonderful 3.5km golden beach resort of Daecheon, set on the Yellow Sea.

With plenty of wonderful seafood restaurants to choose from along the seafront, the beach is popular with sun seekers and surfers alike. But each year this beach celebrates a special festival; mud.

Known for its rejuvenating effects, the local mud, rich in minerals, has been used in cosmetics since the mid-190s. The annual mud festival now attracts over 2 million visitors each year, and many foreigners too. Participants literally smother themselves in mud and enjoy the festival spirit with music and activities like mud baths and slides throughout the 10-day festival.

With several islands close by, there are boat trips on offer to explore the nearby coastline and after a muddy day at the beach, there are plenty of things to do in and around Boryeong. The regions countryside is different from much of Korea with its wide plains compared to Korea’s usual mountainous nature.

One way to enjoy the surrounding countryside is to take the Daecheon Rail Bike, a 5km trail through hills and green rice paddy fields. The bikes suit everyone as they are partially self-propelled. A visit to the Boryeong Coal Mine Museum is also worthwhile as you can travel 400m underground into a disused mine and see what the working environment was like. The last mined coal was back in 1994 but the equipment used is still on display.

Sungjusa Temple , South Korea

The Sungjusa Temple Site consists of the Nanghyehwasang Baekwolbogwang Pagoda and Monument, and several other pagodas. The fortress of Ocheonseong is located at the Ocheon Port, which was a centre of trade with the Tang Dynasty during the United Silla period. The Nampo Gwanamun (gate) and Nampo Eupseong (fortress) were constructed during the Joseon Dynasty and has been well preserved. The Boryeong Fortress and Gate were constructed during the Goryeo Dynasty and reconstructed from a mud castle to a stone fortress during the Joseon period. These historical sites are all well worth visiting

The Daecheon Port is just 12km from Boryeong City and a kilometre from Daecheon beach. It is a key fishing port and is in a pollution-free sea zone. There are a wide variety of fish to find too making it a popular place for fresh fish to eat, like blue crab, squid and trumpet shell. The port is decorated with strings of drying squid around the port.

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The Boryeong Dam is located in Misan, famous for its fresh water and nature. The dam holds water from the Seongju and Ami Mountains and in the resulting lake, Sweetfish, which only live in clear water, can be found. There is a beautiful road running alongside the lake giving wonderful views of the clear colbalt blue lake. The mineral springs at the foot of Younsoori are wonderful and here you can also find Yongam Youngdang; tradition houses and in the garden of one is a 5m diameter old ginkgo nut tree.

Boryeong sea-side, South Korea

Finally for something very different, visit the Cold-wind resort. Due to cold wind coming from hundreds or thousand of metres underground, the Cold Wind Resort maintains a temperature of -12 degree in a space of just 50 meters'. When the temperature outside gets higher, inside the temperature gets lower!

Korea is a modern vibrant nation that has maintained its traditional culture, making it a wonderful Asian tourism destination.●

www.bmlinternational.co.uk

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EXHIBITION News

Manchester Convent ion Centre, UK

3 MONTHS PRIOR TO MITM & CULTOURFAIR-HOSTED BUYER SPACES RUN OUT Three months before the celebration of the 20th edition of MITM Americas,

Meetings and Incentive Travel Market, which will be held alongside the 6th edition of CULTOURFAIR, International Cultural Travel Fair, in Puebla, Mexico on 3-5 December, the hosted buyer’s spaces for these important trade shows have been filled, due to the high demand. GSAR Marketing keeps having a strict selection process for hosted buyers, to continue with its policy of ‘quality oriented trade shows’, by approving only those who are truly potential buyers and active in business. MITM & CULTOURFAIR are recognised as one of the most professional exhibitions worldwide by exhibitors and buyers in the tourism industry. The notarised evaluations prove it! Registered VIP Hosted Buyers (CEOs, Marketing & Commercial Directors, Product Managers) come from 36 countries worldwide. Buyers from MITM Americas are corporate incentive travel end-users, incentive houses, incentive travel agencies, international congresses, event organisers, etc. Buyers from CULTOURFAIR are tour operators’ wholesaler companies and specialised travel agencies. MITM Americas & CULTOURFAIR are organised in coordination with Puebla's Tourist Office. www.mitmamericas.com, www.cultourfair.com

POSIDONIA SEA TOURISM FORUM 2015 The industry agrees that the East

Mediterranean and Black Sea region will become the world’s leading sea tourism destination, but it will not be plain sailing! With over 650 participants and 32 exhibitors from 25 countries participating at the 2nd edition of the Forum, the 3rd edition of the event is already scheduled for 26-27 May 2015. As the East Mediterranean and the Black Sea have been identified by the sea tourism industry as the region with the greatest potential for further development, the Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum is set to become the major meeting point for the industry with the region’s authorities, destinations, product and service providers, with the long term goal of creating win-win situations for all stakeholders involved. Senior international policy and decision makers from the global cruise and yachting industry met with Greek and international government officials, regulators, and local authorities at the 2nd Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum, during which important issues were raised, which can lift existing obstacles to further develop the region’s economies through increased sea tourism capacity. Intense debate in the conference halls, a busy exhibition floor, fruitful B2B meetings and presentations focused on Black Sea Destinations resulted in renewed commitment by all stakeholders involved to further explore the potential of the region and to regularly engage the wider sea tourism community at the Posidonia Sea Tourism. During the next event in May 2015, topics to be discussed include: Cruise Day - Global Deployment Trends and East Mediterranean Cruise Development; Emerging Markets and Destinations; Regional Cruise Ship Supply; Destination Management Issues; Shore Excursion and Land Programme Enrichment. Yachting Day - Marina Development and Yacht Services; Legal Frameworks affecting Private and Charter Yacht Operation; New Regional Investment Opportunities. In addition there will be parallel activities and sessions with B2B meetings across the 2-day programme, as well as the session on Coastal and Inter-Island Passenger Shipping. The Conference will take place at the Megaron Athens International Conference Centre, Athens, Greece.

34TH ASEAN TOURISM FORUM - MYANMAR 2015 The global travel industry is

getting ready for the 34th edition of the Asean Tourism Forum that will take place in Myanmar next January. Already over 350 TRAVEX (travel exchange) booths have been contracted and some 550 applications for the Hosted Buyers Programme have been received. The TRAVEX sellers, made up of suppliers of ASEAN travel and

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tourism products and services, come from the 10 member nations of ASEAN – Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – and together will take up 8,000sq.m of space. ATF aims to promoting ASEAN as a single destination and hosting of the event is rotated among the member countries each year.

Participation from host country Myanmar is at an all-time high, with local hoteliers, tour operators and other players in the industry all ready to welcome the event to Myanmar for the 1st time. It is an opportunity for the country to share its rich history and culture with the rest of the world. The event is also seeing strong support from local companies like private banks, multi-industry conglomerates and Myanmar’s newest international and domestic airline. The Myanmar Tourism Federation, organiser of ATF 2015, is very pleased to have the backing of the local private sector companies for ATF and is confident that together with the support of the Myanmar government and all other industry players, ATF 2015 will be a highly successful event and a milestone for the country. In addition, Cable News Network (CNN) is the Official Broadcast Media and will jointly promote the event with the organiser. CNN will also host a luncheon for the tourism ministers and heads of National Tourism Organisations of ASEAN and other Asian countries during the event. ATF 2015 is taking place at the Myanmar International Convention Centre (MICC) 1. The venue has hosted numerous national meetings and international business events, including the recent 24th ASEAN Summit. ATF 2015 is themed ‘ASEAN – Tourism Towards Peace, Prosperity and Partnership’. It will be held from 22-29 January in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. It is hosted by the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, organised by Myanmar Tourism Federation and managed by MP Singapore and Myanmar Ventures Group.

EXHIBITION News WORLD TRAVEL MARKET 2014

World Travel Market 2014, is to opened this year by Justin King CBE, former CEO of J Sainsbury’s and one of the UK leading business leaders. Mr. King brought huge success to supermarket Sainsbury’s and has worked for the food sections of Marks and Spencer’s as well as working at another supermarket, Asda. He also helped introduce Häagen-Dazs ice cream to the UK and has worked for Pepsi-Cola International and Mars. In 2011 Mr King was honoured by the Queen and appointed with Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his work in the retail industry. Mr. King will open WTM 2014 at the ‘Captains of Industry Opening Lunch’, where 200 of the industry’s most senior executives will

be present.

BANDA ACEH TO HOST TOURISM INDONESIA MART& EXPO (TIME) 2014 The Indonesian annual travel

mart, Tourism Indonesia Mart & Expo (TIME) will take place in Banda Aceh, the capital city of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam. The event will be held from 23–26 October 2014 at Hermes Palace Hotel. Entering its 20th year of conduct, TIME is organised to promote Indonesia as a tourist destination in the international market and at the same time raise the country’s image as a global travel destination. For the last 3 years TIME has been held in Sumatra, including Padang last year and Lampung for 2 consecutive years. Before that, TIME had been organised in Java and Eastern Indonesia (Makassar and Lombok) for 18 years. By hosting TIME in the capital city of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam it will be able to promote Aceh to the international market and help speed up the development and improvement of infrastructure, tourism facilities and tourism attractions in the region, so that the destination can establish itself as a global travel destination. Aceh has become a strategic destination in Indonesia due its accessibility as well as sound infrastructure such as a wide range of accommodation options and various tourism attractions. Hosted Buyers attending TIME will get a closer look at the products on offer and aid local tourism stakeholders in selling their products overseas. There are six (regional) gateways in Sumatra; Banda Aceh, Medan, Pekanbaru, Padang, Palembang and Batam. Banda Aceh is now a visa- on-arrival entry point and has 2 direct

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Excel l Exhibi t ion Centre, London, UK

international flights to Banda Aceh from Kuala Lumpur, and 4 times a week from Penang. There are also daily flights between Jakarta and Banda Aceh by national carrier, Garuda Indonesia among other carriers. Last year, TIME in Padang attracted 83 buyers from 27 countries dominated by Malaysia, Indonesia, Poland, The Netherlands, India and Singapore, with 81 Indonesian sellers occupying 73 booths. The percentage of sellers based on industry covered Hotel, Resort & Spa (75%), NTO (10%), Tour Operator/Travel Agent (7%), Adventure/Activity Holiday (3%), Airline (1.5%), and Others (Hotel Management, etc. (8.5%).

MYANMAR HOSPITALITY & TOURISM CONFERENCE 2015 Taking place from 25 -

27 March 2015, in Yangon, Myanmar, the Myanmar Hospitality & Tourism Conference is the gateway to exploring opportunities in Myanmar’s booming hospitality and tourism sector. With frequent news of room shortages in Myanmar, even since opening her doors in 2010, demand from both leisure and corporate travel has surpassed supply available in the country even when taking into account accommodation that is not ministry-approved. No country in our current day and age has faced such overwhelming demand just from the tourism sector. With high investment opportunities and many new hotels opening each month to bridge the gap, nearly 1,000 new rooms will be added to the current room capacity with new developments such as Pullman Yangon, Shangri La, ParkRoyal and Novotel Yangon Max, etc. The 3 day event will cover a whole host of areas; ‘Forecasting Myanmar’s growth in Hospitality Investment’, ‘Trends in Myanmar’s hospitality development’, ‘Infrastructure management for long term sustainability’, ‘Tackling challenges faced in an emerging market’, ‘Capturing market share through right product development’, ‘Enhancing customer experience’ and ‘Exploring new areas of investment in Myanmar’. The 3rd day of the event will see 4 workshops; Workshop 1: Revenue Management, Workshop 2: Customer Service Management, Workshop 3: The Future Hotel and Workshop 4: Setting up a business in Myanmar.

ST. MAARTEN TO HOST FCCA CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW The Florida-

Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) runs an annual Conference & Trade Show and has, over 2 decades, increased the cruise tourism impact for its host destinations by spotlighting their products, experiences and infrastructure to the industry's most influential decision makers. Over 100 executives, presidents and CEOs from FCCA's 15 Member Lines, which operate over 100 ships in Caribbean and Latin American waters, will attend the event, which this year and for the 2nd time, is taking place in St. Maarten, from 6-10 October. St. Maarten first hosted the conference in 2003. In 2001, St. Maarten reported 875,540 passenger arrivals. An increase of 70% to 1,490,386 was recorded in 2005, just 2 years after hosting the Conference. As the destination knows, these numbers extend far beyond the cruise pier and have a positive effect on the entire island economy.Direct and indirect employment from the cruise industry, totals 8,123 jobs. In 2014 St. Maarten expects to welcome 1.67 million passenger arrivals onboard 523 vessels from FCCA Member Lines alone. Created in 1972, the FCCA is a not-for-profit trade organisation that provides a forum for discussion on tourism development, ports, safety, security, and other cruise industry issue and builds bilateral relationships with destinations ' private and public sectors. By fostering an understanding of the cruise industry and its operating practices, the FCCA works with governments, ports and private sector representatives to maximise cruise passenger, crew and cruise line spending, as well as enhance the destination experience and increase the amount of cruise passengers returning as stay-over visitors. ●

ASIA News

The Cat Ba Island, Vietnam

WORLD’S LARGEST SHOPPING MALL We have all passed through these brightly

lit Duty-free shops when travelling through airports, but now the ultimate Duty Free shop has opened in Hainan, China. The Haitang Bay International Shopping Center, offers over 300 international brands - tax free. The traditional international brands are there, but also new ones like Prada, Rolex and Giorgio Armani are on offer for the 1st time in a Duty Free Shop on the Chinese mainland. The 72,000ssq.m centre replaces the DFS in downtown Sanya which was just one 7th of the new store’s size. One of the aims of the store is to attract more Chinese tourists to Hainan and to not travel outside Chinese shores. The store is part of a plan to make Hainan a world class international

tourism destination by 2020. From 2011-2013, Hainan saw an average annual 15% rise in tourism revenue, with offshore duty-free sales accounting for 10% of total revenue.

NORTH KOREA UNDERWATER HOTEL As North Korea starts to build its tourism

industry, a new development project for the east coast city of Wonsan is underway that will include an underwater hotel.

The plan, which will see the construction of mainly leisure facilities, that will turn Wonsan into a ‘tourist city’. Located on the Kalma peninsula, some of the attractions in addition to the underwater hotel will be a flower park, international meeting hall, exhibition and exposition hall and stadium. The underwater hotel concept is ideal tourist accommodation for North Korea, as tourists are contained and are not free to go wherever they wish.

THAILAND GOLF SUCCESS Following the success of the inaugural Centara World

Masters Golf Championships held in Hua Him, Thailand, the event is to grow for the next edition in 2015. The event saw over 500 participants from 23 countries representing 123 golf clubs. It was the largest event of its kind in Asia. For 2015, the organisers hope to host over 700 participants, which will again be hosted in Hua Hin next June.

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VIETNAM’S TOURISM SEES TOURISM RISE Foreign tourist arrivals to Ha Noi

reached nearly 1.5 million in the first 9 months of 2014, representing a 17.1% rise from the same period in 2013. In addition, Ha Long City in the northern province of Quang Ninh, recently received the international luxury Superstar Virgo cruise ship, bringing onshore nearly 1,600 foreign tourists to the city.

PATA HUB CITY FORUM With the

ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) being implemented from 1st January 2015, the region is getting ready. Covering 10 nations in South-East Asia, the AEC-2015 aims to transform the region into a single market and production base with a highly competitive advantage to make it a stable and prosperous region. So, how will the AEC affect and impact tourism businesses in the region? ‘Hub City Forum’ featuring the theme ‘AEC 2015 - Where is Tourism Heading?’ aims to answer the question! PATA Malaysia Chapter (PMC) in collaboration with PATA Headquarters and supported by Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia (MOTAC) and Tourism Malaysia, is taking the lead to explore this important topic via the forum which is taking place on 15th October 2014 at The Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur and will be officially launched by the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia. It will look at some of the issues and explore new paths of growth for the travel and tourism industry. Among the topics to be addressed will be the policies and implementation of AEC and the opportunities and challenges for stake-holders. With ASEAN being the largest contributor with 19.1 million arrivals, representing a 74.3% share of the overall tourist arrivals to Malaysia in 2013, it’s a must attend forum for those in the tourism sector.

www.tourismaroundtheworld.co.uk

ASIA News

At Kuching, Malaysia

EAST ASIAN MEMBER COUNTRIES FOCUS ON ECO-TOURISM East Asia Inter-Regional

Tourism Forum (EATOF) member countries are to look into offering eco-tourism to attract more tourists, especially as it is a growing sector worldwide. The East Asian nations can easily tap into their resources and assets in order to take the tourism industry to a new level. With eco-tourism an expanding sector, it is an opportunity for the nations to work together not only to promote eco-tourism products but also unite their resources to showcase their attractions to the world. The delegates are from the Philippines, Korea, China, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, Mongolia, Indonesia and Malaysia.

NATIONAL HERITAGE KEY TO BOOST TOURISM IN VIETNAM Vietnam currently has 21 World Heritage Sites and in addition it has over 40,000 monuments and landscapes, of which over 3,000 monuments are rated ‘national values’ and over 5,000 sites rated ‘provincial values’. Many are well known and top tourists destinations. These heritage sits are key to developing tourism further as it brings to the forefront the importance of these monuments and sites and protects and maintains them for the nation and the world. There are many tours based on heritage itineraries across Vietnam like the ‘Travel to the roots’ which focuses on Lao Cai, Yen Bai and Phu Tho provinces; ‘Central heritage itinerary’ travels between Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang and Quang Nam; the ‘Tourism Triangle’ route between Hanoi, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh is another good example.

SINGAPORE PASSPORT: VISA-FREE ACCESS TO 170 COUNTRIES

Citizens who possess a Singapore

passport have one of the most freedom of travel permits in the world. They can gain access to 170 countries without requiring a visa. This is an increase from 167 of 219 countries last year. Singaporean passports are ranked 5th in the world alongside those from Switzerland and New Zealand. Singapore passports are now ahead of Greece and Australia, who both shared 6th place. Singapore is one of only a few nations (together with Japan and Brunei) to gain visa-free access to China. It is also the 6th country allowed to use Australia's SmartGate automated border processing system. The most travel-free passports worldwide are from Finland, Sweden, Germany, the USA and UK, who can travel visa-free to 174 countries.

Night market, in Laos

SHOPPING AT NIGHT IN LAOS Vientiane, the capital of Laos, is the place to buy all

your souvenirs and delights from an amazing trip to Laos. The city brings together all the traditions and delicacies of its regions and is an excellent shopping centre. The markets of Vientiane are many and varied and many are specialised in one particular thing, like wood carving, textiles or sweets. With many coffee shops and tea houses to visit, tea and coffee products are easily found. For a more traditional drink, you must take time to enjoy the national beer, ‘Beerlao’. There are many different markets to choose from around the city, like Talat Sao, Khuadin Market and San Jiang (the Chinese market), ideal for souvenirs. At Talat Sao and Khuadin Market there are textiles, jewellery and clothes. For Chinese goods and Lao clothing, San Jiang Market is ideal. Each market is not big and can be enjoyed in a day at leisure. The night markets are also popular tourist attractions, like that at Chao Anouvong Park along the Mekong River, making it a wonderful setting.

TOURISM CO-OPERATION Skål International Chiang Mai & North Thailand Club

entered into a co-tourism promotion with Skål International Yangon recently with the aim to create connections with different Skål groups’ members, that will result in joint tourism activities that will have a positive influence on the increased number of direct flights between Chiang Mai and Yangon. The twinning of Skål International Chiang Mai and North Thailand and Skål International Yangon will also produce many exchange visits between the 2 cities. ●

www.tourismaroundtheworld.co.uk

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