KUALA LUMPUR, 27 April 2023: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) supports the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living that stated the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM), rather than the Consumer Claims Tribunal, should investigate flight grievances.
The ministry recently noted that complaints relating to flight services should be reported to MAVCOM. According to Section 99(1)(c) of the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Act 2015 (Act A1498), which was updated by Section 99(1) (ca), any issue relating to airline services is not within the tribunal’s jurisdiction as stated on 1 March 2016.
MATTA president Datuk Tan Kok Liang urges the Consumer Claims Tribunal to dismiss claims regarding flight tickets included in travel packages to be consistent with the ministry’s position.
“Consumers should pursue charges against airlines for failures to provide refunds and related services rather than holding travel agents liable. Travel agents should not become victims of circumstance,” he added.
Travel packages sold by travel agents are classified as services and are subject to the Consumer Protection Act 1999 [Act 599], which necessarily includes airline services. However, since 2016, MAVCOM has administered airline services and complaints.
“This has created difficulties for our industry players when dealing with these problems, notably airline-related issues involving unsatisfied customers who continue to file claims with the Consumer Tribunal for only MYR5 each. How can we defend ourselves while the airlines are subject to a different set of rules?” Tan asks.
This “fundamental flaw” becomes apparent during the Covid-19 pandemic and post-pandemic period, when the Consumer Claims Tribunal compels travel companies to reimburse tour fares to consumers. Still, airlines use credit payback methods to travel agencies. Such rulings have resulted in severe financial ramifications for travel agencies, including closing their business.
“In the interest of fairness, we suggest that the Consumer Claims Tribunal analyse its past and pending cases to reflect the present business situation. Moving ahead, we expect the Consumer Claims Tribunal to transfer consumer and travel agency issues involving flight tickets to MAVCOM and separate these tour packages from the merchant category,” said Tan.
“Finally, the most recent scenario demonstrated the 4th Schedule of the Tourism Industry Act 1992 is now irrelevant and outdated. We have reached a point of no return since this issue has been highlighted multiple times to the Federal Ministers of Tourism over the years without any positive results. Ministers ask the Secretary General of the Tourism Ministry to table the necessary amendments, but nothing comes of it.” lamented Tan.
HONG KONG, 26 April 2023: The region’s best bar talent will land in Hong Kong on 18 July for Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards ceremony to reinforce the city’s status as a leading hub for world-class cocktail experiences.
For its 2023 edition, the annual awards partner with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to bring the event to the city for the first time.
“We are delighted to host this year’s edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars in July, one of the region’s most significant celebrations of hospitality, further affirming Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s main hub for cocktail experiences. We look forward to inspiring the region’s best bar talent with what Hong Kong has to offer,” said Hong Kong Tourism Board chairman Pang Yiu-kai.
Asia’s 50 Best Bars director of content, Mark Sansom, says: “We are very excited to host the awards in Hong Kong this year. The city has one of Asia’s most dynamic and diverse bar scenes. Despite tight border controls in the last three years, it continues to lead with amazingly innovative bar experiences. By bringing the biggest event on Asia’s bar calendar to Hong Kong, we hope to shine the spotlight on the city’s vibrant nightlife and contribute to driving travel and tourism.”
Hong Kong is a breeding ground for cocktail-making talent, and eight Hong Kong bars were featured in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022. In the top three, two bars were born and bred in Hong Kong; the Mexican-inspired bar COA in the No 1 spot and Argo, known for its cocktails using Asian-sourced ingredients.
DUBAI, 26 April 2023: Emirates announced Monday it will launch a new daily service from Dubai to Montréal starting 5 July.
Montréal becomes Emirates’ second gateway in Canada, complementing its passenger services to Toronto, which has been operating since 2007.
The launch of services to Montréal comes as the UAE and Canada aim to expand economic cooperation between the two nations, stimulating benefits to the aviation and tourism sectors and enhancing trade flows and commercial links. The daily flights to the new destination will help cater to the huge demand for direct flights between Dubai and Canada, particularly to its two largest metropolitan hubs, and provide more travel choices when flying to Canada.
Passengers from Montréal can enjoy the airline’s award-winning services to and through Dubai and connect safely, seamlessly and efficiently to Emirates’ global network of over 130 destinations in over 70 countries and territories.
The daily flights between Dubai and Montréal will operate as EK243/244 with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration, offering a premium travel experience across its cabins. Passengers can enjoy Emirates’ award-winning travel experience aboard its wide-body aircraft with eight first-class suites, 42 lie-flat seats in business class and 304 seats in economy class.
Tickets to Montréal go on sale today for flights starting 5 July and can be booked on emirates.com, the Emirates App, or via travel agents.
The flights will operate with timings as follows (all times are local):
Dates
Flight
Departure
Arrival
From 5 July 2023
EK243 (DXB/YUL)
02:30
08:00
EK244 (YUL/DXB)
10:20
06:30 (next day)
From 5 November 2023
EK243 (DXB/YUL)
02:30
07:15
EK244 (YUL/DXB)
09:30
06:40 (next day)
From 10 March 2024
EK243 (DXB/YUL)
02:30
08:00
EK244 (YUL/DXB)
10:20
06:30 (next day)
“Emirates is excited to launch our second gateway into Canada as we expand our reach with direct services from our hub in Dubai. As a major metropolitan centre and Canada’s second-largest city, we are pleased to add Montréal to our growing global network of over 130 destinations and strengthen our coverage in the Americas to reach 18 points served by our services from Dubai,” said Emirates chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim.
“We have been serving customers with passenger and cargo services to Toronto for over 15 years. When we begin services to Montréal in July, customers will have more choices when planning their travel, whether for business, leisure, education or for visiting family and friends. We want to thank the UAE and Canadian authorities for the enhanced agreements which have made this new destination possible. With our expanded reach into the country, we look forward to facilitating new trade lanes, which will bring a host of benefits to Canadian businesses and exporters in addition to promoting tourism into more cities and generating more jobs across all sectors, including those directly serving the aviation industry,” continued Kazim.
Emirates Network and Air Canada partnership
Customers of Emirates and Air Canada have access to an expansive network of destinations thanks to the codeshare partnership between the two airlines. In addition to over 130 destinations that Emirates flies to, its customers can access 19 Canadian destinations beyond Toronto through the partnership. In contrast, Air Canada customers can fly on Emirates to Dubai and access 17 cities in Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, the Middle East and Asia. Additionally, Emirates passengers can choose from over 140 routes operated by Air Canada on an interline basis, including 27 points in Canada and 94 routes between Canada and the US and South America.
Through an enhanced interline arrangement between both airlines, Emirates passengers can now choose from 68 points from Montréal, including the US, Mexico, South America and the Caribbean, while enjoying conveniences such as the simplicity of flight itineraries on a single ticket and smooth connections. Popular domestic points in Canada via Montréal include Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, and Halifax. Emirates Skywards members can earn Miles on all eligible Air Canada flights and redeem Miles for reward tickets across Air Canada’s network.
Travelling to Montréal
Located on an island between the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers, Montréal is the largest city in Quebec and the second largest in Canada. Also known as the capital of French Canada and the nation’s cultural capital, the city is famous for its festivals and vibrant food and arts culture while also being an important centre of commerce, tourism, and design and business hub for industries including aerospace, transport, finance, pharmaceuticals and technology, to name a few. In addition to its appeal to visitors for its unique geographical location, Montréal is also home to some of the world’s top-ranked universities, earning the city a reputation as a student-friendly and world-class study destination sought by international students.
The flight timings from Montréal will offer Canadian travellers convenient access to major leisure destinations beyond Dubai, such as Thailand, Lebanon, India, and Bali and French-speaking Indian Ocean destinations, such as Seychelles. The new service also opens a new route for convenient inbound connections to Montréal for a mix of leisure and corporate travellers and visiting family and friends from Dubai, India, Lebanon and, Singapore, other Southeast Asian and African countries, in addition to international students pursuing higher education in the country.
Emirates has been operating in Toronto since 2007, and its flagship A380 service on the Dubai-Toronto route since 2009. From 20 April, Emirates will serve Toronto with a daily A380 service. With the addition of Montréal to its expansive network, the airline will provide a choice of two points for travellers planning trips to and from Canada. This will also grow Emirates’ network across the Americas to two points in Canada, 12 US cities, and four destinations across Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.
Whether travelling to or through Dubai, travellers can enjoy sun-soaked beaches, heritage activities, world-class hospitality and leisure facilities, and various world-class experiences.
Trade between UAE and Canada
The UAE is Canada’s largest export market in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2022, bilateral trade between Canada and the UAE exceeded C$2.6 billion, growing 53% over the last five years. According to Statistics Canada, it is estimated the UAE’s foreign direct investments stock in Canada was valued at C$1.3 billion in 2021.
Canada features in Dubai’s top 20 source markets for inbound tourism, with 158,000 Canadian visitors in 2022, more than doubled in 2021. (Source: Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism).
SINGAPORE, 26 April 2023: Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) released its ‘15th annual Seastainability Report’ on Monday, providing an update on its corporate responsibility strategy and performance across its three wholly owned brands – Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises.
2022 marked a watershed moment in the company’s advancement of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) efforts. Defining events include the 30th anniversary of the company’s first environmental programme, Save the Waves, and the first Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) report, published with the ‘2022 Seastainability Report’.
The targets and strategies laid out in the annual report highlight Royal Caribbean Group’s progress to reduce emissions and promote the safety and well-being of its guests and employees, including its commitments to sustainable tourism, protecting the oceans it sails and inspiring and empowering the communities it visits.
Report Highlights – Asia Pacific
“Surrender Your Shell” initiative, a collaboration between Royal Caribbean Group’s Australian team, WWF Australia and the Australian Museum Research Institute. As part of the initiative, the Australian government changed the federal policy for six months, allowing Australians to send historically purchased tortoiseshell products to WWF Australia without the risk of prosecution. This information helped create a “ShellBank” database to identify vulnerable turtle populations and partner with local communities, governments and the tourism industry on turtle protection initiatives.
As part of the Blue Green Promise to protect oceans, Royal Caribbean Group partnered with WWF to help protect and gather information on local whale sharks in the Philippines. Travellers worldwide can go to the small town of Donsol in the Philippines to see these endangered species. Since the start of the programme, the ocean region surrounding Donsol has been protected by new regulations, helping protect the whale shark population. Tourism has flourished, boosting the economy and quality of life for locals.
Renewing its partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and committing an additional USD5 million to preserve ocean health
Royal Caribbean Group is building on a robust portfolio of technologies that improve energy efficiency, water treatment, and waste management; it has worked to introduce environmentally friendly ships that move the company closer to achieving Destinations Net Zero, the company’s vision for net zero emissions by 2050.
HONG KONG, 26 April 2023: Hong Kong has one of the most influential pop cultures among Asian cities, especially its pervasive Cantopop and movies from the 1980s to the 1990s, which gave birth to many superstars who were well-known internationally.
The timeless influence of those masterpieces can still be found in the pop culture of Hong Kong and even the rest of Asia.
Movie Tram (Photo credit: Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2023)
The first-ever “Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival”, launched in April, presents over 20 events scheduled throughout the rest of the year. An array of experiences await visitors to relive the golden age of Hong Kong superstars, including Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui, who reigned in the music and movie industries.
Here are recommended experiences for visitors to savour and reminisce about the old days, paying tribute to the legends.
Passing on the Legend with a Brand New Interpretation Miss You Much Leslie Exhibition
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passing of Leslie Cheung (“Gor-gor”) this year, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum has organised an exhibition with Cheung’s close friends Florence Chan, William Chang and Wing Shya as guest curators. The exhibition presents Cheung’s legendary achievements in music and film and his influence on popular culture.
Movie Tram – Tales Told by Cinematic Storytellers ** Tickets available online for registration
A quintessential Hong Kong symbol on the move, the tram is a vessel of the city’s unique scenery and memories, making it an ideal backdrop for many Hong Kong movies. The Festival will present “Movie Tram” tours, in which the participants will take a walking tour around film locations in Central & Western District before hopping onto a tram, where famous filmmakers, including Stanley Kwan and Kearen Pang, will share behind-the-scenes stories and inspirations for cinematic creativity, uncovering the gems of the city’s moving pictures.
In the Mood for Qipao – A Showcase of the Flourishing Era of Hong Kong Cinema Cinderella and Her Qipao Exhibition
The qipao (cheongsam) is a fashion symbol of Chinese culture and a key styling element for female leads in many Hong Kong movies. This exhibition, organised by the Hong Kong Film Archive, with over 30 qipaos from a selection of films spanning different eras will be on display, recreating the cultural landscapes of the past with pieces worn by iconic actresses such as Maggie Cheung and Brigitte Lin.
Out of Thin Air: Hong Kong Film Arts & Costumes Exhibition
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum and the Hong Kong Film Arts Association will jointly present the exhibition. By displaying iconic costumes, props, sets, paraphernalia and workshop scenes, the exhibition will take visitors behind the scenes to explore the nature of Hong Kong’s film culture and the highly adaptable professionalism and creative inclusiveness of the film industry workers.
More riveting activities will debut soon. Make these experiences part of your itinerary and embark on a distinctive pop culture journey in the footsteps of legendary Hong Kong superstars.
For more information about the “Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival”, please visit https://www.pcf.gov.hk/en/.
SINGAPORE, 26 April 2023: As companies strive to reduce their carbon footprint, they are implementing strategies to decarbonise employee travel.
But which practices effectively drive change and ultimately empower organisations to continue leveraging business travel while reducing their climate impact?
A new benchmarking study released Monday, “Managing Emissions From Business Travel Programs: Overview of Corporate Best Practices,” sheds light on how companies decarbonise their travel programmes.
Compiled by the GBTA Foundation, the report provides a valuable snapshot of companies that are mitigating their business travel emissions.
Released during Earth Month, the study examines which measures are most effective in reducing the climate impact of Scope 3 emissions from business travel and key considerations for implementation and success.
“One of the biggest challenges for achieving more sustainable business travel is knowing how to build the path and the program to get there. We went to companies and leaders in sustainability to bring forth best practices and insights that can help any company seeking to travel greener and better,” said GBTA Foundation managing director Delphine Millot.
Millot added that tackling Scope 3.6 emissions needs to be a joint effort across the entire global business travel value chain and relies on common ownership and shared responsibility between the suppliers and users of travel services.
The report lays the building blocks for companies to create a more climate-conscious travel programme – from starting with measures requiring less effort and funding to advancing with more ambitious strategies, activities, and outcomes.
Developing a sustainable travel programme involves a combination of measures at different levels and working with various stakeholders.
The report outlines measures across four critical categories: travel decisions, emissions tracking, supplier engagement, and decarbonisation.
Additionally, it provides a toolbox of action areas to efficiently reduce emissions while aligning to organisation budgets, available time, company culture, and other factors.
Six key points for success in reducing business travel emissions
Lowering the impact of business travel on the environment is an iterative process. The report identifies commonalities among interviewees, emphasising the integral elements necessary to reduce emissions from business travel effectively:
No One Size Fits All: Evaluate needs and return on investment before drawing from the toolbox.
Make a Demand Signal: Corporate travel managers have a key role in signalling a growing demand for greener travel options.
Start Today: Strive to improve emissions data − but don’t let perfection halt progress.
Go “Glocal”: Global strategies should be localised to consider infrastructure and cultural differences.
Future Proof: Combine quick wins with longer-term investments.
Collaboration is Key: Sustainability is a shared effort between corporate travel managers, procurement, sustainability, and employee travellers.
Additional topics covered in the report include integrating climate considerations into corporate travel policies, measuring travel program emissions, greening the procurement process, and navigating Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) opportunities toward decarbonising air travel.
Methodology
The report’s benchmarking methodology consisted of interviews with a dozen sustainability leaders from global companies that rely on business travel to conduct their business successfully. Participants included the GBTA Foundation’s Sustainability Corporate Advisory Board (CAB) members, collaborating with the GBTA Sustainability Leadership Council (SLC).
The GBTA Foundation is the non-profit, cause-led arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s business travel and meetings trade organisation serving 7,600+ members. GBTAFoundation.org.
BANGKOK, 26 April 2023: The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) to promote and strengthen shared interests between the two organisations in the areas of market access, innovative events, membership and communications.
PATA chair Peter Semone noted that PATA was thrilled to partner with SPTO in implementing these exciting development opportunities to encourage advocacy marketing and communication, insightful market research, and innovative events for its member organisations.
“PATA is looking forward to further connecting with SPTO on areas of cooperation for travel and tourism within the Asia Pacific region. This connection will provide more opportunities to host international events, share market insights and enable us to promote the Pacific region to a globally connected audience. Keeping the P in PATA is imperative to us,” said Semone.
In his response to the MoU signing, SPTO CEO Christopher Cocker highlighted the potential to establish important public-private partnerships, to strengthen the development of the travel and tourism industry in Asia and the Pacific.
“We welcome this partnership with PATA as it aligns with the innovative partnerships component of SPTO’S Strategic Plan 2020-2024.
“We welcome this partnership with PATA as it aligns with the innovative partnerships component of SPTO’S Strategic Plan 2020-2024. Our two organisations have a wealth of diverse membership and wider stakeholders. We recognise this partnership as an opportunity to unite our stakeholders and resources to revitalise our progress towards the sustainable growth of travel and tourism in Asia and the Pacific”, he concluded.
About PATA
Founded in 1951 and headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for-profit membership association that catalyses the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices. Visit www.PATA.org.
About SPTO
Established in 1983 as the Tourism Council of the South Pacific, the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) is the mandated organisation representing Tourism in the region. Its 21 Government members are American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Rapa Nui, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu Wallis and Futuna, and the People’s Republic of China. Visit SPTO here.
SINGAPORE, 26 April 2023: The Ascott Limited, a lodging business unit wholly owned by CapitaLand Investment, announced Tuesday it plans to open 70 properties across fast-growing markets in Asia Pacific and Europe in 2023.
Ascott recognises the need to address emerging trends in today’s post-pandemic travel landscape, marked by evolving traveller demands and renewed appetites for fresh experiences.
Ascott’s managing director for brand & marketing, Tan Bee Leng said: “Riding on the recovery of international travel, Ascott opened more than 45 properties in 2022. This year, we will see our highest-ever property openings, launching close to 13,500 units across 70 properties.
“This strong pipeline of property openings spans all brands. It will support the continued rebound in travel and tourism spending, bolstered by the relaxation of travel restrictions and the normalisation of flights to pre-pandemic levels. Traveller expectations and preferences are shifting alongside this upward growth trajectory,” she concluded.
Seeking to define global living with stay experiences tailored to the preferences of different traveller segments, Ascott has today established a diversified brand portfolio that bears a strong foothold in catering to the emergence of new travel patterns today.
Lyf
This year, the group’s lyf brand will see seven new properties in Austria, China, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. It includes the opening of lyf Riverside Bangkok, lyf Raja Chulan Kuala Lumpur, lyf Malate Manila and lyf Cebu City.
Citadines
Citadines, Ascott’s fastest-growing brand, will see 21 new additions to its portfolio this year, including Citadines Harbour Front Yokohama, a 242-room property conveniently located near Haneda International Airport, the gateway to the Tokyo metropolitan area, as well as Citadines Walker North Sydney, Citadines Waterfront Kota Kinabalu and Citadines Gatot Subroto Jakarta. Continued growth in Europe is further expected with the opening of Citadines Canal Amsterdam and Citadines Danube Vienna.
Somerset
Alongside the global travel rebound, Ascott will open 11 Somerset properties this year. Openings include properties in China such as Somerset Tangzhen Shanghai, Somerset Star River Minhang Shanghai, Somerset Taihu New City CBD Wuxi, Somerset Fengdong Xi’an, Somerset Changxin Hefei and Somerset Chayuan Chongqing. Other properties include Somerset Asia Afrika Bandung and Somerset Kencana Jakarta in Indonesia, Somerset Gorordo Cebu and Somerset Valero Makati in the Philippines and Somerset Schonbrunn Vienna in Austria.
Oakwood
Following Ascott’s strategic acquisition of Oakwood in July 2022, the brand will see continued growth with two new openings this year – Oakwood Suites Chongli in China and Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Benoa Bali in Indonesia.
Ascott
The Ascott brand, which will be refreshed during the second quarter of 2023, most recently opened Ascott Dadonghai Bay Sanya in January 2023. Further addition of new properties in China this year include Ascott Pazhou Guangzhou and Ascott China Central Place Suzhou.
Crest Collection
Earlier this year, Ascott announced the expansion of The Crest Collection brand to Asia, in key destinations like Singapore and Hanoi, Vietnam. The Robertson House by The Crest Collection in Singapore is one of the brand’s flagships in Asia and is set to open by the end of 2023.
HARRIS
With wellness tourism expected to grow by around 21% annually through 2025,[3] Ascott will expand its lifestyle brand, HARRIS, across Southeast Asia. HARRIS will make its first debut outside of Indonesia later this year with the opening of HARRIS Sunshine Penang in Malaysia.
SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia, 26 April 2023: As the Mekong Tourism Forum’s business sessions get underway today, we asked the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office executive director Suvimol Dee Thanasarakij if delegates and representatives of the six member countries (Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand) will discuss regional challenges that threaten tourism.
Suvimol Thanasarakij.
One of the pressing issues is the annual smog crisis which causes Air Quality Index levels to hit the hazardous zone score threatening the health, well-being and tourism economies of North Thailand, Central and North Laos and North Myanmar. Will the tourism leaders of the Greater Mekong Sub-region and tourism industry represented by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office make their voice heard to introduce genuine sustainability that ensures economic well-being and health safety? Or will they watch the region’s communities and economies suffer a substantial shrinking of the annual tourism season caused by months of wildfires and commercial arson that destroys natural forests?
Developing new dam projects on the Mekong River that are now threatening river cruises and the livelihoods of riverside communities is another issue. There are concerns that iconic river cruises will ultimately disappear. Tour operators warn that Mekong River cruises are already being dramatically cut back as navigating the Mekong River in China, Laos, and Thailand becomes more difficult. Will the lineup of 16 dams (in the pipeline and already operating) ultimately destroy the river’s tourism appeal?
Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office executive director Suvimol Thanasarakij (Dee) comments on these core issues.
On the impact of smog and wildfires?
A: “The Government of Mekong Countries are aware of the impact of smog issues on people’s lives and tourism. To keep the tourists as safe as possible, tourism authorities make public announcements regularly, suggesting which spots should be avoided and which spots are ok to visit. In the meantime, the government authorities are discussing the transboundary haze issue with their neighbouring countries at a high level. At Mekong Tourism Forum, the environmental issues impacting tourism will be addressed under our theme “Rethinking for Resilience and Digitalisation.”
On the impact of dams on Mekong communities?
A: “The governments of the Mekong region, through the Mekong River Commission, have recently issued the “Vientiane Declaration” to reiterate the region’s commitment to cooperate and safeguard the river. While the countries see the economic benefits gained from large water infrastructure projects, addressing the growing risks and trade-offs is urgent. The Declaration calls for intensified cooperation among government sectors, partners and stakeholders to seek innovative solutions. Also, last year the new guidelines for hydropower dam design were launched to maximise the potential benefits of hydropower and other water-related development projects while minimising the significant harmful impact on the environment and the lives of Mekong people.
“At the Mekong Tourism Forum 2023, the conversation will be around the theme “Rethinking for Resilience and Digitalisation”. Of course, sustainable development to save the environment through innovative digitalisation is part of the rethinking of tourism, which will be reflected in the forum talks. Apart from that, Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) publishes web articles featuring the voices and thoughts of sustainability tourism leaders or role models from the public and private sectors in the Mekong Region on a bi-monthly basis. We do this to share their best practices, to inspire others and to recognise their great effort. MTCO also releases monthly newsletters, which capture sustainable development initiatives from the countries and issues around this region. The newsletters are available on our website www.mekongtourism.org.”
On relations with the NGO Destination Mekong
A: “Destination Mekong and MTCO, since the beginning, are two separate organisations, but we are great partners. MTCO runs our programmes, such as the Mekong Tourism Forum (conference, interactive panel discussions, sustainable tourism exhibit, disbursed tourism exhibit and post tours highlighting sustainable tourism practice), social media campaign #MekongPostcard, monthly newsletter and web content highlighting sustainable tourism thought leaders.
“Destination Mekong has been actively taking part in past Mekong Tourism Forum over recent years and at this week’s MTF as a speaker and sustainable tourism exhibit, while the MTCO takes part in some Destination Mekong activities, and we are looking to expand collaboration to support future projects.”
Photo credit: CNN. Helicopters deployed to douse wildfires in Laos and Thailand earlier this month.
SINGAPORE, 25 April 2023: The new High Seas Treaty is a critical step in the right direction for our oceans and the planet, according to the latest blog from Travelyst, the not-for-profit sustainable travel organisation set up by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.
Photo credit: Travelyst
“It has taken nearly 20 years, but finally, there has been an agreement. Last month, United Nations member states agreed on the world’s first High Seas Treaty, which will enforce the pledge to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030 made at the UN Biodiversity Conference last December, a seismic shift towards safeguarding and regenerating our vital marine ecosystems.
“The treaty provides a legal framework to establish vast marine protected areas (MPAs) on the high seas – areas of the ocean that lie out of any single nation’s jurisdiction representing around two-thirds of the oceans – and equitably and sustainably share its genetic resources.
“Only 1.2% of these legally-defined ‘international waters’ are protected. That means that any marine life outside those areas is at risk from overfishing, shipping traffic, and exploration such as deep-sea mining, not to mention climate change.
“The importance of our oceans, which cover 70% of the Earth’s surface, can’t be underestimated: they produce half the oxygen we breathe, represent 95% of the Earth’s biosphere and are our largest carbon sink. The stark truth, however, is that much has already been disastrously overexploited.
“While the High Seas Treaty is a huge step in the right direction, what happens next – ratification by all signatory countries, followed by the hard work of implementation – is what matters. To secure healthy oceans for the next generation, we need a collaborative effort to protect our waters by governments, international bodies, industry and travellers.
“You can keep up with developments and updates with The High Seas Alliance’s Treaty Tracker, and The World Ocean Day website also features a range of resources, including a social media toolkit.”
Travalyst partners include Amadeus, Booking.com, Expedia Group, Google, Skyscanner, Travelport, Trip.com Group, Tripadvisor and Visa. They are part of a global network of changemakers, working together in a supportive, pre-competitive collaboration to create viable, visible sustainability solutions – and change the travel industry for good.
