Kuching landmark undergoes restoration

KUCHING, 9 October 2017: Kuching’s Sarawak State Museum, Borneo’s oldest museum will be closed 23 October for a major restoration.

One of the city’s most popular tourists attractions and a must-see to gain an overview of the city’s colourful history will undergo a major restoration that will take at least two and half years.

The closure notice was issued by the office of the Chief Minister, Datuk Pattinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg. Read more

Asia DMC gains Travelife status

HANOI, 21 September 2017: Award-winning destination management company ASIA DMC has achieved partner status with Travelife, a global sustainability leader.

To coincide with the celebration of its 20th anniversary, ASIA DMC Vietnam has been awarded partner status with Travelife, a training, management and certification initiative for tourism companies.

This demonstrates the tour company’s on-going commitment to environmental and social sustainability across its business. Read more

Bali raises volcano alert

DENPASAR, 21 September 2017: Bali’s governor has urged people to remain calm amid fears of a volcanic eruption on the holiday island, local newspapers reported on Wednesday,

Seismic activity at the Mount Agung, or Gunung Agung, volcano has significantly increased since Monday, leading authorities to raise the alert to level 4, and evacuate areas within 7.5 km of the volcano.

On Tuesday, Asian Trails, in an alert to its trade partners, reported Mount Agung was unleashing a series of smoke columns. Read more

JNTO backs Japan Tour show

BANGKOK, 30 August 2017: Japan Tourism Organization (JNTO) will host the  Japan Tour 2017,  22 to 24 September in a downtown Bangkok shopping mall hall.

The event’s venue is Royal Paragon Hall 3, Siam Paragon, 5th Floor.

JNTO is assembling travel content from tour and hotel operators in Japan along with tour companies from various provinces in Japan and with supporting air fare deals from airlines. Read more

North Korea: Tourists welcome

SEOUL, 8 August 2017: North Korea’s doors are still open to US tourists, Pyongyang said at the weekend, despite Washington banning its citizens from travelling there following the death of a US student who had been jailed in the country.

The US prohibition, which comes into effect 1 September was introduced after officials said the “serious risk” of arrest by Pyongyang authorities during tourist travel presented an “imminent danger to the physical safety” of its nationals.

The move was triggered by the death of 22-year-old Otto Warmbier, who was sentenced to 15 years’ hard labour in the North for trying to steal a propaganda poster during a tourist visit, but was released in a mysterious coma in June and died soon afterwards. Read more

Vietnam tightens safety

LAM DONG, 31 July 2017: Vietnam’s Lam Dong’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has licensed 10 companies to organise adventure tours in the highlands province.

The licence covers a variety of adventure activities including zip lines, kayak racing, water tray sides down waterfalls, a monkey bridge, a leap of faith from two spots in Tuyen Lam Lake, Datanla waterfalls, Dasar waterfalls, Da Don River, Madagui tourism area, and Golden Valley.

Companies are required to guarantee the quality of their equipment, provide rescue teams and ensure safety for travellers and well as tour guides. Read more

Delinquent travel agents in trouble

QUANG NINH, 24 April 2017: Quang Ninh, one of Vietnam’s most popular provinces for tourism, will crack down on shops that sell souvenirs at exorbitant prices and tour companies that fleece tourists with sub-standard and expensive tours.

Local media quoted the province’s Party Committee secretary, Nguyen Van Doc, saying strict punishment would be imposed on tourist shops and companies that violate the state management regulations on commercial activities.

“The province wants to create favourable conditions for companies to welcome international visitors, including Chinese tourists…Quang Ninh will not tolerate operators who are involved in unfair business activities or fraud.” Read more

Editor’s Post: Day of reckoning

BANGKOK, 3 February 2017: I could be accused of harping on about zero-dollar tours, beating the subject dry, but it’s been around a long, long time, probably longer than we care to imagine.

In 1976, I wrote my first account of zero-dollar tourism in Thailand, while working for the Bangkok Post. The zero-dollar tour business model was a topic for a slow news day along with the second airport project in the swampland of Nong Ngu Hao and a pie-in-the-sky train dream.

Taiwanese and Hong Kong tour operators were the culprits in those bad old days, but the business model was almost the same. Guides queued to present their bids to lead a tour. They lived off the commissions that more than compensated them for the pay off to the overseas supplier. Read more

Welcome year-end tax break

BANGKOK, 1 December 2016: Thailand reintroduced, Tuesday, a tourism stimulus package that offers Thai citizens a THB15,000 tax break when they buy a domestic tour packages, or hotel accommodation.

According to the Thai Cabinet statement, the measure came into effect today, 1 December and expires at the end of the year.

Prime Minister’s Office’s vice minister, Kobsak Phutrakul, confirmed an individual traveller can deduct expense for tourism purposes not exceeding THB15,000 for the month of December when they file their tax returns at the end of March 2017. Read more

Danang to host golf convention

DANANG, 23 November 2016: Danang will host the 6th Asia Golf Tourism Convention (AGTC) a golf travel event that combines a golf tour with meetings, 7 to 13 May next year.

Local media quoted the city’s tourism department vice director, Nguyen Xuan Binh, saying 600 tour operators, golf course managers, travel agency and airline representatives, and tourism managers from 39 countries in the Asia Pacific region will join the event.

“The event will also be an opportunity for buyers and sellers to exchange information about tourism services, destinations, hospitality and conferences relating to the tourism industry.” Read more

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