Hanoi: Walking street gains popularity

HANOI, 18 October 2017: Hanoi’s Department of Transportation has made adjustments to traffic and transportation in several areas around Hoan Kiem Lake to improve pedestrian street space during weekends as more travellers and residents visit the lakeside attraction.

According to the latest regulations,  all vehicle transport is banned 1900 to 2400 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, on Hang Gai and Cau Go streets (from Luong Van Can street to Dinh Liet street).

On Hang Bai street, cars are prohibited from Ly Thuong Kiet street to Hai Ba Trung street; and taxis are banned from Tran Hung Dao street to Ly Thuong Kiet street. Read more

Mekong: Opening travel east and west

HOI AN, 4 October 2017: Vietnam says it will pursue a two-year action plan to encourage tourism along what is called the East-West Corridor, a route that could ultimately link Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar through their central regions.

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism introduced the two-year action plan saying it would introduce new travel products for niche markets such as adventure tours, cultural tours based around festivals, food tourism and architectural-based tours linked to the region’s rich history and art.

The plan came up for an airing at the first East West Economic Corridor (EWEC) Technical Tour and Workshop, co-chaired by VNAT and the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office last month. Read more

Journey Within hands over local offices

SIEM REAP, 21 September, 2017: Journey Within Tour Company is handing over its Southeast Asian operations to local staff for them to own and manage.

The process starts in Cambodia with staff in the Siem Reap office taking control of operations rather than it continuing as a subsidiary of the US-based Journey Within Tour.

From humble beginnings that grew out of a small bed & breakfast enterprise in Siem Reap, Cambodia in 2003, the US-based Journeys Within Tour Company has offices in Cambodia Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Read more

UK falling out of favour

LONDON 25 August 2017: The UK is falling out of favour as a must-visit English speaking destination for young travellers wanting to study, tour and work, a wide-ranging new report has warned.

Visa controls, currency fluctuations and an unfriendly impression following Brexit are putting one in five young visitors off visiting the UK, says the British Educational Travel Association.

The latest visitor statistics show youth travel is no longer growing as it once did. At the same time competitive English speaking countries elsewhere are thriving. Read more

Last ditch stand to save PATA meet

LANGKAWI, 14 July 2017: Gaining the attention of Pacific Asia Travel Association members to attend a regional event, on Langkawai island, is proving to be an uphill struggle.

Malaysia’s PATA chapter wants to reintroduce an annual gathering of PATA members from the 10-member nations of ASEAN.

But it is proving to be a challenge to gain the attention of busy PATA members, who are probably overdosing on must-attend travel events. Read more

KTC offers snow holiday prizes

BANGKOK, 11 July 2017: Japanese food fans can enjoy a meal discount and if they pay for it with their Krungthai credit card they will also have a chance to win a holiday to Hokkaido.

The 30% discount offer for KTC credit cards holders is valid until 31 December this year.

To be in the running for a free tour package to Japan, members have to spend at least THB1,000 on a meal at participating restaurants to be eligible for the holiday draw. Read more

Thahara shines light on Yangon sights

YANGON, MYANMAR, 18 May 2017: Myanmar travel specialist,  Thahara, has teamed up with local creative digital agency Nex to create an illustrated map that shows Yangon’s alternative side, by shining a light on some of the lesser known sights in the country’s largest city.

To celebrate the launch of the new map, Thahara has also created two new day tours in Yangon that take guests to some of the top sights highlighted on the map.

Thahara’s new day tours, “Guide to Yangon’s Art Scene” and “A Night Celebrating Myanmar’s Traditions,” are available to book online with prices starting at USD48 per person. Read more

Trip to Japan turns to disaster

BANGKOK, 12 April 2017: More than 1,000 Thai travellers were stranded at Bangkok’s busy Suvarnabhumi Airport, on the eve of Thailand’s annual Songkran holiday, when their holiday arrangements to Japan no-showed.

They thought they had bought packages from a travel agency and early media reports appeared to confirm that, but within hours it became apparent WealthEver, the organiser of the fake Japan tours has no connection with Thailand’s travel industry.

It probably represents the biggest holiday scam to hit Thailand’s holiday travellers. Tourists were visibly upset and angry when they realised they had prepaid between THB10,000 to 15,000 for packages that were fake courtesy of Facebook pages. Read more

Khiri dips into community travel

BANGKOK, 3 March 2017: Southeast Asian- inbound tour specialist, Khiri Travel, will unveil two new community and nature-based tours in North Thailand and North Lombok at ITB Berlin, next week.

The emphasis is on providing insights into lesser-known corners of popular destinations, with the trips giving flexible options, depending on budget and interests.

The Thailand-headquartered tour operator says its mission in Thailand is to reinvent tourist perceptions of a country that has been at the forefront mass tourism in ASEAN for close on 50 years. Read more

Trip to checkout corruption

MEXICO CITY, 7 February 2017: Mexico’s latest gimmick — tours that focus on sites linked national corruption — could inspire tour operators in other countries to jump on the bus.

Tour buses packed with sightseers are a common sight in Mexico City, but among the buses ferry tourists to the famed historical attractions there is a new kid on the block.

In fact, the converted school bus with the sawed-off top is taking Mexico City visitors on the “Corruptour,” a visit to the country’s seedy underbelly of murderous misdeeds and multibillion-dollar graft by public officials. Read more

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