Sapa sets ambitious target
April 11, 2012 by TTRweekly Staff
Filed under News, Vietnam
Hanoi, 11 April 2012: Sapa, a mountain resort village in the far north of Vietnam, aims to welcome as many as 4 million visitors by 2030 with an average growth rate of 7.2% a year.
According to the Voice of Vietnam, the target is part of the urban planning project for Sapa tourism, announced by the Lao Cai provincial People’s Committee.
It says Sapa will not only be a national tourism and resort centre, but also an economic and cultural centre for cultural exchange among ethnic minority groups in the northern mountainous region that borders China.
China lifts travel to Vietnam
April 2, 2012 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under News, Vietnam
HANOI, 2 April 2012: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism estimates the country welcomed 561,877 international travellers in March representing an increase of 18.11% from 475,733 visits during the same month last year.
China shines as the top supplier in March with 101,482 visits. It represented an improvement of 5.20% from 96,467 visits in the same month last year followed by South Korea, Japan, the United States, Taiwan and Cambodia.
Thailand’s outbound trips to Vietnam continued to slip far from the top 10 list. It was ranked in the top markets in December when the market supplied 17,940. The market has been in decline to Vietnam since 2010. VNAT specifically identifies just the top 10 markets in its monthly assessments.
Miracle Thailand event opens
March 30, 2012 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under News, Thailand
BANGKOK, 30 March 2012: Miracle Year of Amazing Thailand 2012 opened its door Thursday for would-be travellers to experience the Thai way of life and tourism products here in Bangkok.
The event is taking place from 29 March to 1 April from 1000 to 2100 at Impact Arena, Exhibition and Convention Centre, Exhibition hall 2.
Presiding at the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the event would build confidence in Thailand and help the country reach its 30 million visitor target and gain Bt2.2 trillion in tourism revenue over the next five years.
Spa show takes shape
March 30, 2012 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under News, Thailand
BANGKOK, 30 March 2012: Spa experts believe the Thai Spa Association’s exhibition World Spa & Well-being Convention 2012 will be a model to raise awareness for spa operator to improve education, standards and encourage innovation.
The exhibition is scheduled 19 to 21 September 2012 at Hall 4, Impact Exhibition and Convention Centre.
The association expects over 180 spa and wellness companies, worldwide, to participate, while there will be 3,000 trade visitors; 5,000 consumer visits and 400 conference delegates attending the fair.
Mekong River lacks promotion
March 29, 2012 by Paphada Apimonton
Filed under Mekong Region, News
BANGKOK, 29 March 2012: Mekong River tourism has the potential to be the star attraction of the Mekong Region, but there needs to be stronger regional support and partnerships, said ASEAN-Japan Centre director, In Thoeun.
Mr Thoeun was speaking at a seminar hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC), Tuesday.
He was commenting on river tourism mainly in the four Mekong Region countries; Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, but with references to Thailand as a gateway destination.
Lao Tourism forms PPP working groups
March 27, 2012 by TTRweekly Staff
Filed under Laos PDR, News
VIENTIANE 27 March 2012: Lao tourism enterprises, government officials, and donor development agencies agreed to join hands to establish working groups for marketing and human resource development (HRD) with the aim of forging public-private sector partnerships (PPPs) to boost the nation’s tourism industry.
The 50-some invited attendees unanimously agreed to form the working groups during the 6th Lanith Quarterly Symposium held in association with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), 23 March at Vientiane’s Lao Plaza hotel.
Symposium panellist, Oudet Souvannavong, founder of the 17-year-old Lao Hotel and Restaurant Association and owner of Best Western Vientiane, will take the helm of the marketing working group, and will coordinate with Lao Tourism Marketing Board (LTMB) Advisor Kirsten Focken representing GIZ.
Projects get Cabinet green light
March 23, 2012 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under News, Thailand
PHUKET, 23 March 2012: The government’s mobile cabinet meeting in Phuket, Tuesday, approved a Bt84,064 million budget to finance 117 development projects in the five Andaman Sea provinces.
Deputy government spokesman, Chalitrat Chantharubeksa, said the approved projects were in Phuket, Ranong, Pang Nga, Krabi and Trang.
These development projects cover five fields– natural resources, environment, internal security, infrastructure and the economy.
Thailand’s growth rate dips
March 22, 2012 by Rapeepat Mantanarat
Filed under News, Thailand
BANGKOK, 22 March 2012: Ministry of Tourism and Sports Wednesday released its travel statistics showing trips to Thailand improved by a marginal 2% in February compared to the same month last year.
The slow growth pulled the accumulated performance down to 4.83% from 7.65% in January.
In February, there were 1,838,595 international trips recorded through all airport and border checkpoints.
US makes gains in tourism
WASHINGTON, 22 March 2012: A record 62 million foreigners visited the United States last year, spending US$153 billion on travel and tourism-related services, the US government said Wednesday.
Brand USA, a public-private partnership that promotes inbound tourism, said it expects the trend to accelerate as the United States launches its first-ever global campaign in May to sell itself as a premier travel destination.
In an email to AFP, it also anticipated more foreign visitors “as the United States makes the process for more visitors to experience the USA more efficient and welcoming” — a reference to efforts to simplify visa procedures.
Flora boost for Chiang Mai
March 21, 2012 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under News
BANGKOK, 21 March 2012: Kasikorn Research Centre says Chiang Mai’s international horticulture expo known as Royal Flora Ratchaphruek, which closed last week, was a key factor in boosting tourism to the northern city.
The centre said both the first and second royal flora festivals in 2006 and 2011 helped to sustain a tourism growth to Chiang Mai.
Initial estimates suggest the 2nd edition, 14 December 2011 to 14 March, attracted 2 million visitors and generated Bt16 billion in revenue.
