global e-news for travel, tourism, meetings and incentives, exhibitions & aviation. Founded in 1997

November 2013

● Travel and Learn, by Caroline-Artemis Laspas

● Positive Tourism In The South Mediterranean

● Britain Targets Best Tourism Year Ever

● Tunnel Under Bosporus!

● The Magic Of Japan Tourism, by Dimitri Laspas

● Tap Into China - The World's Biggest Outbound Tourism Market

● Successful 19th MITM Americas & 5th Cultourfair

● Gdansk: ICCA Best Marketing Award Final!

● Oman To Target Europe's Best

● Make The Most Of Cologne With The Kölncard

● World's Largest Cave Opens in Vietnam

● Medical Tourism is Booming Outside Of Europe, by Dimitri Laspas

● Welcome On Board, ‘Tea Or Coffee Anyone?’

● Etihad To Fly From Abu Dhabi To California

State Government Palace of Guadalajara, Mexico, TATW Monthly 2013 © www.tourismaroundtheworld.co.uk

Letter from the Editor

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Welcome to the November edition of

TOURISM AROUND

THE WORLD

MONTHLY

As providers, suppliers and buyers for the tourism industry, most of us also enjoy our own tourism experiences throughout the year, either through work or leisure with family and friends.

On a recent family day trip into London, we were able to experience a total of 4 museums each with completely different exhibits which were amazing and unique but also were free of charge to enter.

Our tour started with the Tate Britain, which is set in a huge neo-classical building on the banks of the River Thames. With paintings and sculptures from many of the world famous artists each room was a wonder. The next stop was the British Library; a modern building, full from floor to ceiling with books and other interesting collections. We saw original music manuscripts from Beethoven and Handel, the original hand written lyrics from some of the Beetles songs, ancient bibles and manuscripts from all over the world, letters from monarchs, as well as sketch books from Leonardo da Vinci. After a quick coffee stop, it was to the Grant Museum of Zoology, with specimens of insets, reptiles and mammals. There were skeletons, dissections and models, all still used to teach zoology today. It was a fascinating visit and a bit like stepping back in time, with floor to ceiling display cases packed with exhibits. Our final stop was the Sir John Soane Museum; a high ranking architect in the early 1800, he donated his massive collection of architectural treasures and his house to the nation to be kept as it was from the day he died (1837). A truly amazing museum and one which sees thousands of visitors through the door of a Georgian terraced house. All the museums were easily got to via the London Underground and were run by dedicated and interested employees who really wanted you to enjoy your visit.

So, become a tourist for a day in your own country and see what delights you discover!

Enjoy reading! Caroline-Artemis Laspas editor & co-founder

Shwedagon Paya Temple in Yangon, Mynmar.

TRAVEL and

LEARN

by Carol ine-Artemis Laspas, editor

When we travel, it is hoped that part of the natural experience is to learn about the place we go, whether it is within our own country or abroad. We learn the language, the traditions and culture, about the cuisine, the different kinds of clothes worn and interesting facts about the places we visit among many other things.

However, one travel agency in China has become a pioneer on the education front. Qufu Lake Comfort Travel is in the international Confucius travel business and offers educational tours for those

interested in Confucius. With over 80 international tour groups a year, equating to 1,800 tourists, the business is going from strength to strength.

Through the tours, tourists get to learn more about the city of Qufu and understand more about Confucianism. Confucius (551-479BC) was a Chinese teacher editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. His philosophy was focused on personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. Many western tourists do not know much about Chinese culture or how it was been influenced by Confucianism.

The company’s travel schedules include a tai chi martial arts practice at dawn, Chinese painting and calligraphy classes, and Chinese cultural lessons. To add more authenticity to the tours, the company has been working with Chinese villagers and offering home-stays to international tourists so they can experience firsthand Chinese village life.

As more tourists look for more when on holiday either about the place chosen to holiday or to learn a new skill or ability in a new environment, there are more tours available all over the world to meet almost any learning requirement. From writing holidays to yoga, from wine tasting to languages, from religious holidays to cooking courses, the list is endless these days. Another company to specialise in a particular activity is SwimTrek; the world’s first open water swimming operator offering various levels of swimming holidays with destinations ranging from the British Isles to destinations across the whole of the Mediterranean as well as in waters in the Caribbean, Mexico and the USA. Just taking a ride in a helicopter is a dream come true for

Boca del Toro island, Panama

many, but now the Luxury Tours and Tailor-Made Holidays Company and indeed the world's longest established travel company, Cox and Kings is offering a mountain safari in a helicopter flying over the peaks of the earth’s 8 highest mountains including Mount Everest. Of course, such a trip requires an element of stamina as well as oxygen equipment on board due to the high altitude.

We take a holiday for various reasons; some of us go back to the same places again and again for the comfort and relaxation we know we will find. Others however, want their special holiday time to give them something they may never again experience like discovering virgin jungles, or trying some extreme diving, whatever it is, we are learning from these experiences and that is the beauty of travel as it enriches us.● 2 www.tour ismaroundthewor ld.co.u k

TOURISM

AROUND THE WORLD

POSITIVE TOURISM IN THE SOUTH MEDITERRANEAN The south Mediterranean countries of Spain, Portugal, Italy and Hellas/Greece have all had a great summer season with many North European tourists heading to their borders rather than heading for more expensive destinations further afield. Political instability in Egypt for example has resulted in many tourists who would opt for the Red Sea and other Egyptian destinations to look elsewhere. For example, the Canary Islands, the Spanish archipelago off West Africa, is expecting by the end of the year to have hosted an extra 250,000 tourists, who would have typically gone to Egypt to get away from Europe’s winter cold. Spain has also seen the benefits of the instability elsewhere with tourists visiting Spain spending UK£27, (EU€32) billion, in the first 7 months of 2013, up 6% from 2012. In this period Spain welcomed a record 34

million foreigners, a rise of 4% from 2012 figures. Tourists from the UK accounted for approx. a quarter of the total. The biggest rise came from Russian tourists up more than 30%, to 840,000, and the Nordic countries, up 18% to 2.9 million. Spain expects to have hosted over 60 million foreign tourists in 2013 for the first time, breaking the record of 59.2 million visitors in 2007. Indeed, demand has been so strong, that hotels have been able to increases prices and still hold onto good business. In a bid to increase local tourism revenue, some towns, like Buñol, in eastern Spain, started charging visitors to attend its ‘Tomatina’ (a tomato-hurling street party) that has become one of Spain’s best-known summer fiestas. The town hall sold 15,000 tickets to visitors for UK£8, (EU€9.65) each, while allocating 5,000 free tickets for residents.

However, this is not the way Hellas/Greece has handled its hotels. Indeed they won by dropping prices by 10% from 2012 prices. The Hellenic/Greek travel sector has had to work hard to work around transport and employee strikes. However, its GDP is expected to increase this year mainly due to increased tourism for the year. Tourist numbers are expected to top 17 million this year, up from 15.5 million in 2012. Tourist revenue rose 18% in the 1st half of 2013 to UK£2.75, (EU€3.25) billion.

In Portugal, tourism revenues rose 8.2% in the 1st half of the year, due to increased visitors from North Europe and Russia. New infrastructure benefits also helped like easier access for cruises into the inland port of Seville. For the 1st half of the year cruise ships carrying almost 10,000 passengers travelled to and from Seville, a rise of 28% from 2012.

BRITAIN TARGETS BEST TOURISM YEAR EVER Britain is welcoming more tourists than ever and they are spending more too with a record UK£20, (EU€23.60) billion spend expected. Foreign tourists made 22.03m visits to the UK in the first 8 months of 2013, a 6% increase from 2012 figures. August saw holidaymaker figures jump from 3.02million in 2012 to 3.5million in 2013. The increase in Britain's popularity as a tourist destination saw spending reach UK£137, (EU€162) billion in the country so far. American tourists increased in the first 8 months of the year, while the number of Europeans visitors in August rose by 17%. Visitors from outside Europe and North America also grew by 13% and just for August up by 28%. Based on these figures, the capital London could see foreign tourist figures reach 16 million visitors for 2013, an all-time-high, which would put London ahead of Bangkok as the world's most popular destination for foreign travellers. Bangkok is expected to welcome 15.98 million visitors a year, with London just behind that with 15.96million, followed by Paris with 14million and New York with 11.5million.

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TOURISM

AROUND THE WORLD

MONTENEGRO TARGETS QUALITY TOURISM With its beautiful beaches tourism in the Balkan country is continuing to grow. In a bid to target quality tourism, the country is to focus on building luxury resorts. Due to open in mid 2016 the former military base Kumbor at the bay of Kotor will be transformed into a luxury resort. When completed, the 110 room, 5* hotel will also offer a marina with 250 berths, several luxury villas and apartments, as well as a 3,000sq.m spa area or shopping and restaurant strip with approx 70 outlet stores. The resort will be operated by the US American Kerzer International Holdings company with its exclusive hotel brand One & Only. Another luxury project; Porto Montenegro by the Adriatic Marina Association is also underway with a deep water harbour for yachts at the bay of Kotor. There is a strong demand for yacht berths with an increase from 250 to 500. Once complete, the marina will be able to host 650 yachts with a length of maximum 150m. Another 5* hotel project is also ongoing as well as shops and restaurants due for completion by for summer 2014. Additionally 130 apartments are planned for completion by summer 2015. Close by is another project being run by the Qatar Investment Authority at the bay of Traste. The project, an investment of UK£212, (EU€250) million is called ‘Blue Horizon’ and will include a 5* hotel with approximately 100 rooms and several exclusive villas. The Lustica Bay project will see two marinas, 7 hotels, over 500 town houses and villas and apartments offering approx. 1,000 units to buy or rent. Final completion of the whole project is due for 2028 with an investment of Euro1.1billion. The project will also offer an 18-hole golf course. In the area of Budva and Bar, the Royal Group, a company from the UAE is to invest UK£152, (EU€180) million to build a luxury hotel with a spa complex.

CROATIA'S TOURISM ON THE RISE Tourism in Croatia is booming with tourism revenues expected of UK£6.35, (EU€7.5) billion this year and overnight stays seeing increases of 3% year-on-year. There are huge investment opportunities in the sector

Dobrota, Kroto, Montenegro.

and already approx 12 large scale hotel projects, offering over 2,900 new hotel rooms are underway to meet the growing demand. Split is a well known holiday destination and plans are to increase the number of beds to 5,000. In addition the construction of a congress centre is planned. Croatia is also focusing on health tourism with the plan for the Adriatic island of Brac to be a UK£339, (EU€400) million project featuring 4 speciality hospitals and several hotels. The plan also includes re-opening the disused airport. The aim is to offer the same experiences as at the ‘Thalasso-theriapie’ complex in Opatija. Other plans for the country include starting water planes to several islands as well as focusing on Green tourism with projects in Istria as well as at the peninsula Peljesac near Dubrovnik.

IRELAND TOURISM CONTINUES TO RISE Latest figures from The Republic of Ireland regarding overseas visitors show continued growth over the summer months with an overall increase of +6.5%, or an additional 291,200 overseas visitors from January to August 2013. Tourists from North America grew by +16.5% during the period January-August, which could make for a record year for USA tourists to the Emerald isle. Tourism Ireland will welcome over 1million American visitors, spending about UK£625 (EU€739) million in 2013. Mainland Europe visitors increased by almost +5% for the period and is the No.1 source of holidaymakers for Ireland. Good increases came from Germany (+12%), the Nordic countries (+12%) and Benelux (+11.5%). Tourists from Great Britain saw a return in growth of +3.7%. Tourism Ireland together with its partners is launching the “GB Path to Growth” plan to boost travel from GB. Australia and developing markets tourists saw a big growth of +11.3% mainly from visitors from Australia and New Zealand.

JEFFERY TAKES UP UNWTO ETHICAL TOURISM ROLE Fiona Jeffery, former chairman of World Travel Market and founder of the international water aid charity ‘Just a Drop’ has been appointed a member of the new World Committee on Tourism Ethics, part of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. Ms Jeffery will serve on this prestigious group until 2017. She is known for her pioneering work on advancing sustainability and ethics in international tourism spanning 20 years. She has helped to change the industry’s mindset on major issues of long term significance to destinations, such as economic, social, cultural and environmental factors as well as highlighting tourism to potential negative impacts in the future. She has spoken widely on subjects like trafficking, gender equality, child protection and accessible tourism for the disabled. In addition she has been involved in developing responsible tourism via conservation, preservation of wildlife and fair trade, ensuring that poor communities can enjoy the benefits created from the introduction of tourism to a region.

NEW7WONDERS CITIES CAMPAIGN: THE 28 FINALISTS ARE…... In the latest bid to find the best and most beautiful, most cultural and most amazing, the finalists of the New7Wonders Cities have been announced. They are: Athens, Bangkok, Barcelona, Beirut, Casablanca, Chicago, Doha, Durban, Havana, Ho Chi Minh City, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, Kyoto, La Paz, London, Mendoza, Mexico City, Mumbai, Perth, Phnom Penh, Prague, Quito, Reykjavik, St. Petersburg, Seoul, Shenzhen, Vancouver and Vigan. 4 www. tour ismaroundthewor ld .co.uk

TOURISM

AROUND THE WORLD

Agia Sophia, Constantinople/ Istanbul, Turkey.

TUNNEL UNDER BOSPORUS! The Bospouros, the famous stretch of water in Constantinople/Istanbul, Turkey has been a historical place in history for millennia. It is a natural divide that splits Europe and Asia and has been marked by the wide bridge connecting the two continents. Over the years, the city has grown and is now home to 16 million people and each day over 4 million of them travel across the bridge resulting in much congestion. Therefore in an attempt to ease traffic around the city, plans are well ahead for a tunnel connecting the two continents under the sea. The 13.5km long tunnel will see 1.4km of it underwater, 60m below the seabed. This will surely ease congestion and also attract more tourists to come and visit the historical capital city of Byzantium.

DURBAN IS THE PLACE TO BE! Durban as one of the most vibrant, affordable destinations in South Africa. The promotion of the Golden Mile on the beachfront aims to position Durban as a world-class holiday and corporate destination, and ultimately to get Gauteng holiday-makers and business travellers to come back to Durban. Durban’s Golden Mile has undergone a transformation in recent years, due to big investments and big companies coming back to the city centre. The International Convention Centre’s status as a leading venue in the country, the renewed iconic Durban Country Club and the Moses Mabhida stadium have all contributed to the revitalisation of the city. Investment into the consolidation and refurbishment of 2 of its iconic hotels to create the Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani has contributed to the revival of the Golden Mile too and the repositioning of the Durban beachfront. The area offers an exceptional variety for leisure and business travellers alike, with a total of 2065 rooms in a variety of hotels, ranging from budget to deluxe, and a myriad of entertainment options on its doorstep. There is a selection of 29 conference venues capable of accommodating up to 500 delegates. Durban is now the place to be!

NEW: HELLAS MARITIME This month sees the launch of a new annual publication called ‘Hellas Maritime’, compiled jointly by Posidonia and Seatrade. As the world’s largest shipping nation, Hellas/Greece is a vital yet complex market to understand, and particularly so during these challenging times. For this reason the experienced editorial team at Seatrade is to produce the definitive guide to the Hellenic Shipping Market, which will prove an invaluable tool for those planning to attend next year’s POSIDONIA 2014 event, keen to expand their business with the Greek shipping community. Hellas Maritime will focus on examining key trends in the Hellenic market that are of significance to the wider international industry, as well as profiling leading ‘movers and shakers’ of the local maritime community and reporting their views on the global issues affecting shipping today. It will also include a special POSIDONIA UPDATE section looking forward to next year’s show (2-6 June 2014) with useful information on the exhibition, expected to be the largest ever, with official conferences, sporting events and social occasions that are already confirmed – thereby allowing POSIDONIA 2014 participants to better plan their busy schedules in advance. Following on from the success of last year’s Hellas Overseas - which was the ‘must read’ publication of POSIDONIA 2012 - the 1st Hellas Maritime will appear this month, November 2013. ●

www.bmlinternational.co.uk 5 www. tour ismar oundthewor ld .co.uk

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THE MAGIC OF JAPAN TOURISM

by Dimitri Laspas, publisher

Japan has the world’s 3rd largest economy and one of the highest standards of living globally. As an island nation it has a unique and traditional culture unlike anywhere else in Asia or the world. Japan is one of the world’s top tourist source markets and is in itself a top tourism destination for leisure and business. With oriental temples set against snow capped mountain peaks and pink blossom trees, the images of Japan are known the world over. In comparison, its zebra crossings in downtown Tokyo are a top tourist spot together with tasty sushi and the neon lights of the capital’s towering skyscrapers.

Japanese tourists are one of the most sort after as they are serious travellers and spend wisely but well on most trips. Shopping is also a top activity for Japanese travellers. In 2012, Japanese tourists spent approx. UK£438, (EU€517) per person per trip while shopping overseas in destina-tions like the U.S.A and Hawaii, with New York City seeing major sales from Japanese tourists last year.

The Japanese spent about UK£573 million, (EU€676) on shopping alone in the U.S.A, of which UK£178, (EU€210) were for gifts for friends and family and UK£395, (EU€466) for themselves. Hawaii, ranked 2nd place with UK£553, (EU€653) in shopping per visitor. Of this, UK£343, (EU€405) was for the shoppers themselves and UK£210, (EU€248) were for gifts for others. France closely followed with UK£343, (EU€405) spent for the traveller and UK£184, (EU€218) on gifts.

China continues to attract the largest number of Japanese visitors with 3,518,200 in 2012. It is now easier than ever for Japanese tourists to visit China due to the many daily flights to all the major Chinese gateways. This makes a trip to China a more frequent occurrence and comparable to domestic travel. The number of airplane seats available on China routes in 2012 grew 29.48%, commanding a 23.93% share overall, compared to, for example, Hawaii's 4.66% share.

Other popular destinations for Japanese tourists include South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Each country seeing big spends from Japanese tourists while on vacation, but not as high as long haul destinations outside of Asia. The recent introduction of low-cost airlines into the Japanese

Toya Lake, Hokkaido Island, Japan.

marketplace has opened up a new sector of travel for the Japanese - shopping trips. Peach Aviation a Japanese low cost airlines offers day return low cost fares aimed at housewives on flights from Kansai (Osaka) to Seoul, so there is no need for an overnight stay. This kind of trip is considered domestic trips for shopping trip as the cost of the flights is less than fares paid within Japan, as well as the strong yen against the Korean won. The main items on the Japanese tourist shopping list is fashion goods including clothes, bags, accessories, leather goods and lingerie, followed by expensive jewellery and watches, then confectionary, perfumes and cosmetics. All sectors seem to be showing increases in sales from Japanese tourists, event tobacco sales grew at Duty Free outlets, mainly due to increased taxes on cigarettes in Japan.

Overall, outbound tourism from Japan is on the up helped by Japan’s strengthening yen which is allowing for more trips and more shopping; making the world the Japanese tourists oyster! Since the massive earthquake and tsunami in the country in March 2011, inbound travel is recovery and stronger than ever and is on course to break the all-time record set in 2010. In the first 8 months of 2013 arrivals to Japan from abroad reached 6,846,400, up 21.37% from 2012 and 16.68% ahead of the record-number back in 2010.

Of all the major source markets, only travellers from China are showing lower results, down 25.74% to 838,700. China has been one of the leaders in inbound travel in recent years along with South Korea and Taiwan. 2013 is seeing a new tourist in Japan; Thai tourists, with a 59.58% increase compared to the 2012 figures.

Kirishima Mountains Kyushu, Japan A joint tourism a promotion by both countries has succeeded in bringing greater tourists from Thailand. In 2012, some 260,859 Thais visited Japan, staying an average 17.7 days and spending UK£667, (EU€788) per person. In the first 3 months of 2013, the average spending per Thai visitor climbed to UK£709, (EU€837). The increase which is still growing has led to businesses to step up Thai-language services to meet the growing demand as well as seeing an increase in air route between the two nations.

Malaysian tourists are also a top tourists for Japan with 130,288 arrivals in 2012, an increase of 19.98% with spending levels averaging UK£650, (EU€767). Again demand has pushed new flights schedules between the two nations and the success is being seen for both countries.

Demand from Thailand and Malaysia to Japan is expected to continue to increase with a new visa-waiver for all Southeast Asian countries. With such pro-active campaigns, Japan’s target for foreign tourist arrivals is set at a new high from 8.35 million in 2012 to 10.28 million in 2013. By 2030, it aims for 30 million visitors.

So far tourist arrival figures are seeing growth from key markets such as South Korea (1,779,800), Taiwan (1,463,100), Hong Kong (493,200), Indonesia (89,500) and Australia (158,600) for which spending per visitor averages UK£1391, (EU€1643) (compared to UK£1314, (EU€1551) in 2012), the highest of all foreign visitors. Other foreign markets showing increases are the U.S.A (530,800) and the U.K. (125,400).

The tourism industry in Japan both leisure and M.I.C.E is seeing exceptional growth and as such Japanese companies are looking for continued growth and have introduced a wide variety of services and products to meet the demand, particularly high-spending ones. This month sees the annual tourism and M.I.C.E event taking place on the Japanese M.I.C.E island resort of Okinawa; Okinawa M.I.C.E Project 2013. The island located southwest of mainland Japan is a well known M.I.C.E destination and has over the years held many international conferences and events.●

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EXHIBITIONS AROUND THE WORLD

Beijing International Tourism Expo 2014

27 - 29 June 2014 at CNCC,

Beijing, China

www.bitechina.com.cn

THE ITB ACADEMY As the world’s largest travel trade show ITB Berlin has become recognised as the industry’s biggest think tank. The ITB Academy features a wide-ranging programme that provides industry representatives with opportunities to further their expert knowledge. ITB Berlin has released details of its latest programme of webinars of workshops due to take place over the coming months. At a webinar on 26 November the debate will be how to make optimum use of social media in the context of ITB Berlin. Exhibitors can find out about the communication methods they can employ to optimise their participation in ITB Berlin before, during and after the show. On 11 December IPK International and the annual World Travel Monitor Forum, will summarise last year’s global travel trends and provide an outlook for 2014. The ITB Academy will also be holding a workshop at the annual conference of the German Travel Association (DRV) in Salzburg on 16 November on how workers can impress customers with their commitment and enthusiasm. As the world’s leading travel trade show it is essential for ITB Berlin to keep the industry’s representatives abreast of current trends at all times, not only during the event itself. Full details of event dates registration visit: www.itb-berlin.de/academy.

MITM Americas, Meetings and Incentive Travel Market and CULTOURFAIR, Guadalajara, Mexico.

SUCCESSFUL 19TH MITM AMERICAS & 5TH CULTOURFAIR The 19th edition of MITM Americas, Meetings and Incentive Travel Market and 5th of CULTOURFAIR, International Cultural Travel Fair, ended with great success in Guadalajara, Mexico. To close the wonderful networking programme with a high note, all the attendees enjoyed a closing lunch at the exclusive Santo Coyote Restaurant, from where the buyers departed for the post-tours to the destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Tlaquepaque, Tapalpa and Chapala. In this edition, a select group of more than 200 participants from 39 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Slovakia, Spain, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, UK, Ukraine and the USA came together to do business. 2,825 appointments were done between exhibitors and buyers, and more than UK£35,990,480, (EU€42,497,464) of business is estimated for the short and long term.

IT&CMA & CTW ASIA-PACIFIC 2013 - ANOTHER SUCCESS! The value of IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific as a platform to reach the international industry audience is evident beyond the exhibition showcase. Corporates, National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) and Convention Visitor Bureaus (CVBs) such as Tourism New Zealand, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Airports of Thailand, Dusit International, sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck, Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau, 3rd Planet Pte Ltd, Taiwan Pavilion, Kenes Asia and Sukosol Hotels are take the opportunity of this high profile and dedicated platform to reach out to the international media and the global M.I.C.E and Corporate Travel industry with their latest announcements. This year’s event saw some 14,000 business appointments generated over 2 days; an impressive ratio of 1.6 buyers to 1 exhibiting company; 60% were new buyers and 47% were new Corporate Travel Managers. The show launched the Online Diary facility that benefitted close to 1,300 exhibitors and buyers enabling them to schedule up to 100% of their business appointments ahead of the event itself. There was also the successful debut of the Association Day that delivered sought-after Association Executives. There were also 3 issues of the brand new Video Dailies which featured 25 video interviews with delegates. IT&CMA & CTW Asia Pacific will take place from 30 September - 2 October 2014 at the Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld Bangkok Thailand.

CHINA’S TOP MARITIME EXHIBITION Marintec China 2013 is the gateway event to the Asian Maritime Industry. Held bi-annually the 2013 edition will take place from 3-6 December 2013 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) Shanghai. With an increasing worldwide recognition and reputation over the past 3 decades, the exhibition is attracting an increasing number of high-profile exhibitors and visitors from around the world. Marintec China is now the largest maritime exhibition in Asia. It is an international marketplace over 4 days for buyers to source from international sellers, showcasing their latest marine, ship design, offshore engineering and port technology. Also on offer alongside the comprehensive exhibition are authoritative conferences and seminars, and high-powered networking activities. Marintec China 2011 saw huge success and broke all previous records with over 1,650 exhibitors and 50,888 visitors.

global e-news for tourism, travel, m.i.c.e, exhibitions and aviations

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EXHIBITIONS AROUND THE WORLD

Hangzhou International Travel

Fair 2014 13-15 March 2014

Hangzhou, China

www.cems.com.sg

TABIHAKU TRAVEL SHOW - JAPAN The JATA TABIHAKU exhibition this year attracted a record 131,058 visitors, beating the previous record of 125,989 in 2012. Of this, 40,136 travel trade and media were in attendance on the 1

st of the 3 day event. Since the

first event back in 2003, as the JATA International Tourism Congress-World Travel Fair, visitor numbers have risen from 91,419 to this year's 131,058. Meanwhile, the number of exhibitors climbed to 730 from 708 in 2012, with a total of 1,353 booths, up from 1,093 a year ago, representing some 154 countries and regions. As for the International Business Meeting (including the Media Meeting), the total number of companies reached 716, up from 575 in 2012, indicating continual interest in the Japanese travel market, with the count of attendees reaching some 1,038, slightly higher than the 1,032 a year ago. The Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) has set the dates for 25th JATA TABIHAKU Travel Showcase 2014 which will take place from 25-28 September 2014 at Tokyo BigSight. The event will include the TABIHAKU Exhibition Show, the International Tourism Forum, the International Business Meeting and Commendations during the 4 days. The event is Japan’s largest tourism trade show and has grown to become one of Asia’s largest.

WTM London, UK

ILTM SPA 2013 The 1st International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) Spa event was held in London and gathered sector experts and industry leaders and suppliers who presented their visions for the industry and discussed the evolution of the destination spa. The 2 day event saw some of the world’s top spa destinations, resorts and retreats, meet with buyers from 20 countries (including the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, USA, Israel, Germany, China, Azerbaijan and UAE), all of whom specialise in luxury leisure programmes with specific interest in spa and wellness travel. The Hosted Buyers undertook over 1,360 business appointments over 2 days with exhibitors from Asia Pacific, Africa, Europe, Middle East and North America. The 2

nd ILTM Spa will

take place in London from 1-3 October in 2014.

TAP INTO CHINA - THE WORLD'S BIGGEST OUTBOUND TOURISM MARKET!

Why China? In 2011 the number of outbound Chinese travellers reached nearly 65 million, making the country the leader for outbound tourists in Asia, ahead of Japan.

China has a growing and prosperous middle class who have more disposable income to spend. Tourism and luxuries are top of their list.

More Approved Destination Status (ADS) and the easing of visa requirements make travel more appealing. In 2000 the number of ADS was just 17. In 2012 the number of ADS is 140 nations.

By 2020, the UNWTO anticipates that 100million tourists will be travelling abroad from China.

Plans to build 97 new airports over the next 10 years to increase the total to nearly 250 - China’s airlines have approximately 500 new aircraft on order. It is predicted that by 2030 China will have added about 4,580 jets to its fleet.

Europe is emerging as the preferred region for Chinese travellers. 4 of the top 5 countries that Chinese tourists plan to visit in 2013 are in Europe. 9 of their top 10 preferred holiday destinations are also in Europe.

To take advantage and tap into this growing outbound tourism sector, you need to be in China; not just Beijing or Shanghai, but other big cities across the country. That is why these 3 international exhibitions are a must to participate in:

CHENGDU INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL FAIR (CITF) 2013 – 6-8 December 2013 at the Century City New International Convention & Exhibition Centre. www.sc-citf.com The first mega-scale tourism exhibition in Southwest China, CITF is the one-stop platform for all tourism and travel industry stakeholders to promote their destinations, tour packages, products and services. Enquiries: In China: citf-intlsales@cemschina.com.cn; Outside China: citf-sales@cems.com.sg

HANGZHOU INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL FAIR (HITF) 2014 – 13-15 March 2014 at the Zhejiang World Trade International Exhibition Center. www.hitf.com.cn Strongly supported by the governmental authorities, the 1st Hangzhou International Travel Fair (HITF) 2014 will provide the ideal B2B networking platform for international and domestic tourism and travel industry players to meet quality buyers and trade professionals in South-eastern China. Enquiries: In China: hitf-intlsales@cemschina.com.cn; Outside China: hitf-sales@cems.com.sg;

BEIJING INTERNATIONAL TOURISM EXPO (BITE) 2014 – 27-29 June 2014 at the China National Convention Centre. www.bitechina.com.cn Regarded as one of the most successful exhibitions catering to the business and leisure tourism sectors in China, BITE has opened up countless business opportunities for industry players since its inaugural presentation 10 years ago. Enquiries: In China: bite-sales@cemschina.com.cn; Outside China: bite-sales@cems.com.sg;

From the UK, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, France, Belgium, Luxemburg and MENA for the above 3 events you can contact: exhibitions@bmlinternational.co.uk ●

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LATIN AMERICA AROUND THE WORLD

ON THE UP: RUSSIAN TOURISTS TO THE CARIBBEAN Over recent years there has been considerable growth in interest from Russia in the Caribbean. Although not as great as China’s interest, Russia has been pro-active to strengthen relations with the region. This is clearly visible by the increase in tourist arrivals to the Caribbean from Russia. Until 2 years ago, Cuba was the only Caribbean destination for Russian visitors (76,500 arrivals in 2012) but now, so rapidly have Russian numbers to the Dominican Republic increased, that Russia has overtaken Germany as a source market and may soon do the same in relation to France, its 3rd largest market after the US and Canada. The Dominican Republic had 158,415 Russian visitors in 2012, 35% higher than in 2011, and a figure that they expect will grow to around 51% in 2013. The country has heavily promoted itself in order to open up new markets as well as additional growth in air routes has helped. In addition, Russian visitors fit the profile most sought after by the tourism sector in the Caribbean; aged between 25-45; from an educated, upper upper-middle class demographic; high purchasing power and are interested in sun, sea and shopping. Other Caribbean nations to have actively started to push for more Russian tourists are Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas and some Eastern Caribbean nations. Russia’s presence in the region is also been improved due to its relationship with Cuba and the signing of several bi-lateral agreements between the two nations. Russia is also investing more in the region in heavy industry. There is also interest in investing in the tourism sector which has been seen in the Eastern Caribbean island of St. Kitts where visa requirements for Russians have been removed and has resulted in attracting not only tourists, but tourism investment too. Russia has a lot to offer the Caribbean region, not just its wealthy tourists and the region is pleased to welcome Russia to investment and enjoy its natural beauty.

NICARAGUA FOCUSES ON MEDICAL TOURISM Within its national plan for 2013-2016, Nicaragua is to focus on medical tourism following endorsement by the

The Municipal Palace, Guadalajara, Mexico hospital accreditation ‘Vivian Pellas’ by the Joint Commission Interna-tional (JCI). To start with their aim is to focus on the Nicaraguans living abroad, mainly in the USA. With low cost medical treatments, direct flights to U.S. cities, combined with the country’s mix of beaches and volcanoes make it an attractive destination. Nicaragua will have strong competition from more established Central American destinations like Costa Rica, Colombia and Panama. The ‘Vivian Pellas’ business group is part of the 388 hospitals that have the distinction by JCI in 50 countries for the next 3 years. Without the accreditation, they cannot offer medical tourism. It is thought that there are currently between 1,764-2,400 annual patients who come for medical tourism. Dentistry is a big market of opportunity for Nicaragua with cosmetic treatment being a 5

th of the price in the USA. There are already 2

hospitals; the Military Hospital and the Central Hospital of Managua, who have programmes to join the medical tourism offering.

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS OPENS IN SANTO DOMINGO The new 20-story, 225-room InterContinental hotel will be located in the Piantini neighborhood of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Real Hotels & Resorts, a hotel division of Salvadorian-based Grupo Poma, will own the new development and invest UK£44, (EU€52) million in the project. The Dominican Republic is a popular tourist and business destination, making this an ideal location to add a new InterContinental Hotels & Resorts property. Scheduled to open in 2015, the Real InterContinental Santo Domingo hotel is ideally located close a main mall, with many luxury restaurants, shops and a sophisticated nightlife. The hotel will offer various restaurants, meetings rooms, business center, an outdoor pool, fitness center and spa. This will be the 7th property owned by the Grupo Poma who has hotels in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and the InterContinental at Doral Miami. The Real InterContinental Santo Domingo will be Intercontinental’s 3rd hotel in Santo Domingo.

SAN MARTIN - PERU INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES In the northwestern region of Peru, San Martin offers great potential as a tourist destination as well as greater investment opportunities, outside of its strong coffee and cocoa production industries. At a recent forum on investment promotion, San Martin is looking for greater foreign investment to further develop the region. Peru receives 3 million tourists annually and nearly 700,000 arrive in San Martin. Indeed, already flights into the region have increased from Lima due to continued high demand.

BRAZIL PROMOTES TOURISTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 2014 WORLD CUP Brazil is heavily promoting its tourism industry in a bid to attract more tourists around the time of the 2014 World Cup, which it is hosting. Key markets for promotion have been in Japan, North America and Russia. Russia has been targeted as its tourists are now ranked 5th globally for their tourist spend. Japan is also a key market as around 1.8 million Brazilians are of Japanese descent and Japan has its own Brazilian Diaspora. Brazil is keen to strongly focus on its hosting of events as in 2016 Rio will host South America's 1st Olympics while the World Cup sees the event return again since 1950. Germany will provide the most visitors from Europe (5%) but to bring more, Brazil has held 180 road-shows at trade exhibitions with a focus on eco-and adventure tourism as the theme. Argentineans will account for the largest share of approx 30% with travellers from the USA having an 11% share based on 2012 tourism figures. Already 109 new hotels, resorts and hostels are under construction across the 12 World Cup host cities, in order to meet expected demand. Brazil aims to attract 10 million tourists by 2020. ●

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M.I.C.E. AROUND THE WORLD

OMAN TO TARGET EUROPE’S BEST The Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre is to build awareness as one of the world’s newest and exciting international congress venues. The venue is due for completion in late 2016. Together with the operator, AEG Ogden and the Ministry of Tourism, promotion of the venue has been strong to date targeting decision makers worldwide to host their events in the Sultanate of Oman. With the successful participation at various international trade shows, the venue has also hosted a series of exclusive client events in Paris, Geneva, Brussels and London. More than 80 clients with the potential to bring 65,000 convention delegates to Oman attended these presentations in key European markets. The Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre is located in its own fully integrated precinct only 4kms from Muscat International Airport. The Centre will feature 2 tiered auditoria to seat 3,200 and 450 while the exhibition halls will feature 22,000sq.m of column-free exhibition space. The Centre will also include an additional 14 meeting rooms for 70-360 delegates, 2 well-appointed ballrooms to seat up to 2,360, VIP Pavilion, a spacious food-court and a multi-storey car park with capacity for 4,000 vehicles.

GDANSK: ICCA BEST MARKETING AWARD FINAL! The finalists of the ICCA Best Marketing Award included Gdansk Convention Bureau and Gdansk Tourist Organization. They were nominated for its CSR project - Gdansk Christmas Baubles held during EIBTM 2012 in Barcelona. The other finalists were; Melbourne Convention Bureau, - Palais des Congres de Montreal and VisitDenmark. The ICCA Best Marketing Award recognises the excellence and outstanding achievements of organisations in their effort to market their destination or product. The goal of the project Gdansk Christmas Baubles was to help to promote the city of Gdansk during EIBTM through the involvement of all exhibitors, hosted buyers and visitors in Christmas CSR project. The winner will be announced on 6 November at the ICCA Congress in Shanghai.

MELBOURNE: AUSTRALASIA'S LEADING MEETINGS & CONFERENCE DESTINATION Melbourne has been voted Australasia's Leading Meetings & Conference Destination in the 2013 World Travel Awards. Melbourne’s infrastructure, intellectual capital, professional services and aesthetics have once again proven superior to those of its Australasian competitors and have enabled the city to be officially recognised as the no.1 meetings and conference destination in the region. The city’s ability to secure such events is proven by the fact that in the next year Melbourne will host 3 of the world’s largest and most prestigious health and medical related conferences: the 22nd World Diabetes Congress for 12,500 delegates (December 2013); the World Congress of Cardiology for 9,000 delegates (May 2014); and the International AIDS Conference for 14,000 delegates (July 2014), which is an outstanding achievement. The majority of the larger events MCB wins for Melbourne are housed at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC).

BOOSTING M.I.C.E, TCEB LAUNCHES ‘THAILAND CONNECT’ CAMPAIGN The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau has unveiled 'Thailand CONNECT', a global marketing campaign designed to make it easier for corporate buyers and meetings organisers to sell Thailand as a premier M.I.C.E destination. The campaign has 3 parts: diversity of Thai destinations, unrivalled business opportunities, and the high quality of Thailand’s M.I.C.E professionals. There are also specific promotional packages that will offer financial support to M.I.C.E events and delegates attending M.I.C.E events in Thailand. Thailand’s wishes to achieve a 2014 target of 987,000 M.I.C.E visitors from abroad, with revenues projected at UK£2, (EU€2.37) billion, up respective 5% and 10% over the figures projected for 2013. It will help TCEB enhance the global visibility of the Thailand brand as part of the Five-Year Master Plan (2012-2016) and its three key strategies - Win, Promote and Develop. The M.I.C.E industry has played a key role in driving the broader economy, earning revenues of approximately about UK£1.67, (EU€1.97) billion per year. During the 2013 fiscal year, from October 2012 to August 2013, Thailand welcomed 993,072 M.I.C.E travellers, with revenues of over UK£1.80, (EU€2.13) billion. Top M.I.C.E visitors were from the conventions industry (318,663 visitors), followed by incentives travellers (247,888 visitors), corporate meetings (237,701 visitors) and exhibitions (188,820 visitors).

KUALA LUMPUR CONVENTION CENTRE The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre’s (the Centre) winning streak continues with receipt of the Kuala Lumpur Mayor Universal Access Award 2013 which highlights the facility’s building design as being accessible for all including the physically-challenged. This comes following the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) and the Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) inaugural rAWr (Recognising Award Winning Results) Awards 2013 for ‘Purpose Built Convention & Exhibition Centre Award for Excellence’ in the Business Events category. The inaugural Kuala Lumpur Mayor Universal Access Award 2013 was initiated by the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, to recognise organisations and individuals for their continuing efforts towards safe and accessible development. The award also aims to enhance awareness among owners, developers and consultants (i.e. architects, town planners and those involved in the construction sector) of the need to be more conscious of potential obstructions at all levels of a development; from design conceptualisation through to construction and maintenance moving forward. In February 2012, the Centre launched a ‘Special Ambassadors Programme’ to provide employment and skills training for individuals with learning disabilities and to help them lead independent and normal lives. The Centre is OSHAS 18001:2007 certified and is disabled-friendly and wheelchair accessible with platform lifts, ramp access points, automatic sliding doors, elevators, restrooms and parking bays throughout the facility. There are also wheelchairs available for use and a Medical Room. ● 13 www. tour ismaroundthewor ld .co.uk

GERMANY AROUND THE WORLD

MAKE THE MOST OF COLOGNE WITH THE KÖLNCARD Following our review of city saver cards in last month’s edition of the e-journal, the latest saver is ‘The KölnCard’ which provides visitors with an easy and inexpensive way to discover Cologne. It offers free travel aboard regional public transportation for 24 or 48 hours and discounts of up to 50% at sightseeing attractions, art exhibitions, cultural events and restaurants. The Card is available as an individual or a group ticket for up to 5 people. It is valid either for public transport in Cologne (including the airport) or for the entire VRS regional transport network. The Card also includes a map of downtown Cologne which shows the locations of the KölnCard partners and the main sights.

NEW: AMIANDO.COM RELAUNCH amiando (www.amiando.de), the event management software for online event-registration and ticketing, has a new clean smart website. The new website sends a clear message: amiando is the leading expert for business events and a strong partner for event organisers. The website was completely revised and modernised in accordance to the new focus on business events. The revised website establishes a modern and clean design. The re-launch aims to tend stronger to the needs of the attendees as well as emphasise the partnership with the customer. Interactive elements, intuitive design and pleasing imagery enhance the new website experience. It is now optimised for mobile devices and offers all information in 4 different languages. The new approach increases focus on business customers. More than 180,000 conferences, seminars, and corporate events worldwide already use amiando. The amiando team supports with expert industry knowledge when it comes to online ticketing and event registration. Since January 2011, amiando has been a subsidiary of XING AG and a part of the business unit XING Events. Through the close connection between amiando and XING, the social network for professional contacts, event organisers have the opportunity to reach more than 13 million potential attendees worldwide.

The Opera House, Berl in, Germany

NEW HOTELS IN GERMANY The hotel industry is booming and new properties are being built to meet the continued global growth in demand. Germany is no exception with 338 new properties currently under construction, such as the new Grand Hotel the Fontenay located on the Alster Lake in Hamburg. This luxury hotel is due to open mid 2016. The hotel business is also attracting retailers, with the discount shopping chain, Lidl to open a hotel on the Reeperbahn in Hamburg on a site of its old supermarket. The EU€20 million project plans to have 180 rooms and is due for opening in mid 2016. The serviced apartment company, Citadines is to open 2 new properties in Hamburg and Frankfurt / Main. In Nuremberg 2 hotels are to open in late 2014; the Holiday Inn Express (124 rooms) and the Hampton by Hilton (80 rooms) located close to the central station. A new Comfort Hotel is to open this month in Friedrichshafen. The complex also incorporates offices. Close to the lake in Münster a luxury spa hotel with 88 rooms and suites is to be built. It will be the 1st hotel with medical spa treatments in the area and is scheduled to be ready by mid 2015.

VISITBERLIN WELCOMES ESTREL’S EXPANSION PLANS Berlin is already a well established and highly ranked meeting destination. Now a new convention centre and 700-room hotel is to be built at the Estrel, which will further strengthen Berlin’s leading position among meeting destinations in the world. The project will triple the convention capacity at the Estrel. The Estrel is already Europe’s largest convention, entertainment and hotel complex, will add a 176m high tower on Sonnenallee. The ground floor and the top floor will be open to the public. In addition, the Estrel is making plans for a 2nd hall for conventions and other events adjacent to its current convention centre. The exhibition space in the new building will be approx. 8,500 m2 and will be able to host events with up to 4,200 participants.

THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL Arguably, one of the most famous walls in the world, the Berlin Wall divided the city of Berlin from 1961 to 1989. Today much of the wall has been taken down, but there are bits that remain and as such are now major tourist attractions for tourists to the city. The GNTO has created ‘The Berlin Wall Trail’,

a route for walkers and cyclists that follows the path of the original wall. At 30 points along the route, information panels tell the story. The recently restored East Side Gallery in Friedrich-shain is a piece of the wall that was painted by artists from 21 countries. On Bernauer Strasse, you can visit a memorial site, a documentation centre and the Chapel of Reconciliation.

NEW FLIGHTS TO UK FROM GERMAN AIRLINES With tourist figures from the UK seeing increases every month year on year to Germany, the figures are set to continue to increase with the start of two new flight routes by two German carriers. For the winter season 2013/2014, UK tourists can now fly to Dresden with Cityjet, who is offering up to 4 flights weekly from London City Airport to Dresden. While discovering the region towns and surrounding region around Weimar and Erfurt, Germania is offering flights to London Gatwick Airport!

LEIPZIG NEW LAKELAND AREA Beaches, water skiing and hiking in Leipzig! All these activities are now possible due to the new Lakeland area, which surrounds the city offering a vast and diverse collection of lakes, all connected by many canals. Once an open cast mine, the area has been transformed with 22 new lakes offering a new and exciting recreational centre with outdoor activities sports, including white water rafting, which boasts the most modern white water course in Europe. There are also numerous hiking and cycling trails all around the lakes to enjoy. You can also reach the area via a boat tour from the harbour in the heart of Leipzig through the idyllic riparian forest to Lake Cospuden. ●

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ASIA AROUND THE WORLD

UNWTO & JATA TO PROMOTE TOURISM IN ASIA & THE PACIFIC The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) which aims to reinforce the knowledge and positioning of the tourism sector in Asia and the Pacific. The 2 organisations will work together, among other areas, in the organi-sation of a UNWTO session at the annual JATA Tourism Forum and Travel Showcase, the exchange of best practices, particularly the experience of Japan’s tourism recovery following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and data sharing. The agreement is a significant step forward for the global promotion of tourism as a driving force for social and economic development. Japan has set the target to attract 20 million foreign visitors and have 20 million Japanese travelling abroad by 2020. Japan is one of the leading tourism destinations in Asia and the Pacific. In 2012, Japan received 8.4 million international visitors (34% more than in 2011) generating UK£9, (EU€11) billion in revenues.

SARAWAKIAN DELEGATION ON JOINT BUSINESS MISSION TO CHINA Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) will partner with Sarawak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on a Joint Business Matchmaking Mission to Shanghai, China from the 7-8 November 2013. With increasing interest from China based on previous sales missions and with the collaboration with SCCI, the chance for more opportunities for trade of products and services in Sarawak and in turn promote Sarawak as an ideal venue for business events is possible. To be held at The Hongta Hotel in the Pudong District, Shanghai. The success of this mission is the strong support from Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) managed by the Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA), Industrial & Corporate Bank of China, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), Consulate General of The People’s Republic of China in Kuching and Malaysia Investment Development Authority (MIDA) together with SCB-SCCI. About 70 potential buyers with interest of investments related to SCORE in

Son Doong Cave, Vietnam

the areas of aluminium, glass, steel, tourism and more will be invited to meet with a diverse delegation from Sarawak. The SCB-SCCI Joint Business Matchmaking Mission is organised to coincide with the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Annual Congress to be held in Shanghai from 2-6 November 2013. Sarawak had recently won the right to host the ICCA Annual Congress in 2016.

WORLD’S LARGEST CAVE OPENS The world’s largest known cave will start offering public tours. Discovered by a local Vietnamese citizen 1991, the Son Doong Cave’s magnificent wonders remained hidden for 18 years from the public. Located in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the Quang Binh province of Vietnam, the cave is over 5.5 miles long, and could accommodate a 40-story skyscraper within its confines. Waterfalls, massive stalactites, and even a jungle called the Garden of Edam with a variety of native animals are to be found inside the cave. It also features 2 large underground sinkholes with cliffs as high as 800 feet and a ‘Great Wall of Vietnam’ that is over 15 stories high. Fields of algae from ancient pools blanket sections of the cave's interior and rare pearls of calcite crystals coat the cave walls. For adventure tourists, this is to become the top destination in 2014 with the start of just 220 tourist permits being issued during the year for a week’s tour by Oxalis Tour Company. The tour includes travel through the cave by day and sleeping on its beaches at night! Tourists will see the giant stalagmite ‘Hand of Dog’ (so called because it looks like a dog’s paw).

VISA FACILITATION CAN CREATE 2.6 MILLION NEW JOBS IN ASIA-PACIFIC In a recent report by leading tourism groups, highlighted that visa facilitation could create up to 2.6 million new jobs in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies by 2016. There has been great progress across the region to facilitate visas, including implementing new visa policies. 21% of expected international tourists arriving into APEC from 2014-2016 would still be required to obtain a traditional visa prior to travel under current visa policies. Facilitating visas for these tourists could create as much as 2.6 million additional jobs in the APEC economies by 2016 and an additional UK£56, (EU€66) billion in international tourism receipts generated by 57 million more tourists visiting APEC destinations. Tourism continues to be a sector that offers a great way to create jobs, economic growth and development in the Asia Pacific region.

CHINA INVESTS IN MANCHESTER AIRPORT A Chinese company is to invest UK£800 (EU€945) million in Manchester Airport. It will be one of the biggest projects since the construction of the Olympic Park in east London and create 16,000 new jobs. Manchester Airports Group (MAG) will partner with Beijing Construction Engineering Group (BCEG), Carillion PLC and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to create 'Airport City'. The 1st project of its kind in the UK and offer a development of offices, hotels, advanced manufacturing, logistics and warehousing, giving Manchester Airport the competitive edge to compete with other European ‘Airport Cities’ in Amsterdam and Barcelona. It is thought that the airport will soon offer a direct flight service to the Far East, as there is already high interest from Chinese airlines wishing to establish a direct route between Manchester and China.

ORIENT-EXPRESS LAUNCHES NEW MYANMAR RIVER CRUISER Orient Express has launched a new luxury river cruiser ‘Orcaella’, which joins its sister ship ‘Road to Mandalay’, on the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River. The new cruiser will also travel along a new tributary, the Chindwin. Named after the dolphins unique to the Ayeyarwaddy, the elegant, 4 deck-ship takes 50 passengers to the very heart of Myanmar on 7 and 11 night voyages. Orcaella will cruise between Yangon and Bhamo, stopping at key cultural sites and towns, as well as dropping anchor at fascinating, off-the-beaten-track sites. While travelling down the Chindwin, it will pass mountain ranges, winding through western Myanmar as far north as Homalin, located 36m from the Indian border. The 25 spacious cabins offer floor-to-ceiling sliding doors and balconies onto the river. There is also an observation deck, restaurant, swimming pool and fitness centre.

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MEDICAL

TOURISM IS BOOMING

OUTSIDE OF EUROPE

by Dimitri Laspas, publisher

As medical service prices soar in Europe and healthcare systems are downgrading in certain domains, other markets are taking advantages of these weakness and offering solutions for both local and inter-national healthcare needs either in terms of infrastructure or services. This has resulted in other markets working hard to ameliorate and upgrade their medical standards and services to meet the needs of their citizens and to attract more overseas ‘visitors’ from the ever growing demand from Europe and other Western countries, seeking medical assistance with high standards and fare prices.

Sultan- Ismail Hospital , Malaysia

For this reason (among others) medical services and health tourism is growing fast in many regions of the world. For example, the Indian healthcare market was estimated to be worth UK£24, (EU€28) billion in 2009 and is set to reach UK£40, (EU€47) billion by 2014. The UK travel to Belgium (16%) as the most popular destination for treatment, followed by Hungary (15%), Poland (10%), Czech Republic (9%), Turkey (9%), Spain (7%) and Hellas/Greece (3%). In Turkey the medical tourism market is expected to grow approx 32% during 2010-2014. The Middle East, in particular the GCC region is predicted to see growth of 11.4% annually to UK£28, (EU€33) billion by 2015, with specialised healthcare cities and hospital projects under construction to meet the predicted demand. By 2020, the South Korean government aims to achieve 1 million medical tourists a year.

Indeed the Asia region is seeing massive growth in this sector with many of the regions governments promoting it heavily. It is estimated that medical tourism in Asia could generate UK£2.80, (EU€3.30) billion in 2013. One such source market for medical tourists is China. Medical tourism is a booming sector in China with the number of Chinese

Dongzhimen Hospital of Beij ing, China

travelling abroad for medical treatment seeing huge growth in recent years and looking set to grow further. Increased disposable income and the ease of travel among the growing middle class is the main reason for this boom. While many Europeans and patients from the USA travel abroad due to high costs and waiting list issues, as well as achieving better care, facilities and treatments in the process, the Chinese consumers are heading abroad for other reasons. Domestic healthcare costs in China are not the main reason for health tourism. It is to receive a quality of service, care and discretion not found yet in China. That is not to say the Chinese national medical system is not good, its treatment costs are cheap by global standards, but it may have a more limited service offering and quality of care varies by region.

With Chinese consumers willing to pay for the best treatment, international healthcare providers are tailoring their services to cater for Chinese consumers. Indeed, in South Korea and in the USA, specialised Chinese-speaking healthcare centres have been set up, purely for this expanding source market.

The most popular destinations for mainland Chinese medical tourists are Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and the US. These destinations may not be the cheapest (India, Thailand and Malaysia are the most attractive for price) but these nations offer higher healthcare standards as well as quality shopping and tourist attractions outside of the hospitals.

Over the past decade, the number of outbound Chinese medical tourists has increased from a few thousand in 2000 to 60,000 annual travellers in 2010. With an aging population and increased incomes has resulted in the growth in demand for medical and healthcare products and services.

As far as the treatments chosen abroad, these range from anti-aging therapy, cancer screening, high-end diagnostics, and treatment and care for chronic diseases. For those who want to travel abroad for treatment but have yet to do so are mainly thought to be holding back due to the potential language barrier, no private health insurance coverage and the cost.

However, ‘maternity tourism’ is one sector that is booming with expectant mothers wishing to give birth abroad. There are several reasons for this;

one is the nation’s policy on population control with a ‘one child policy’. Only select ethnic minorities or parents who were an only child themselves are allowed to have a 2nd child. If citizens break the rules heavy fines are given which are impossible for many to pay. Hong Kong has become the top destination for this medical sector as although it is part of China it is exempt from the population policy. This has led to huge numbers of expectant mothers wishing to give birth in Hong Kong especially as all those born there are given automatic residency and all the social services that that brings. Indeed, such was demand in 2010 that 40,648 mothers gave birth, representing 46% of the city’s total for the year. This was quite a problem for the city’s hospitals and as a result new legislation has now placed a cap on the number of non resident expectant mothers allowed to give birth in the state.

For sure the Chinese medical tourism sector is set to continue to grow, especially with more and more international destinations tapping into this lucrative market. China is a major medical tourism source market, with huge potential for many international medical related providers. The booming market in Asia is a wake-up call for the European Union and the rest of Europe to realise and implement better and cost effective medical and health services along with new strategies in services and prices to accommodate its internal aging population and to attract the booming medical and health needs from Asia and Latin America.●

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AVIATION AROUND THE WORLD

AEGEAN AIRLINES & OLYMPIC AIR JOIN FORCES Aegean Airlines’ 2

nd

proposal to take over Olympic Air has been agreed by the European Commission. It agreed that without a take-over the airline would collapse totally and therefore has a good chance to thrive with Aegean at the helm.

The number of routes served by the Greek airlines has seen a reduction in recent years. The two airlines overlap on 7 routes, of which 5 are served only by the 2 airlines: Athens to Chania, Corfu, Mytilene, Santorini and Kos, the last 2 of which Aegean only serves from the Greek capital in the summer. Aegean’s previous bid in 2011 for taking over Olympic Air was stopped due to competition issues. These do not exist now.

The two brands and logos of the companies will remain with each one retaining distinct aircraft and flight activity. Olympic Air has always struggled to be profitable as it has had the obligation to serve many islands around Greece, which were a vital life line to the inhabitants, but not profitable routes. This has also been the case with many of the ferry boats serving the islands.

URUGUAY HUB On top of allowing Singaporean and Uruguayan carriers to fly between both countries via or to any 3rd country, carriers can also base their aircraft in the other country; Singapore carriers can use Uruguay as a hub to operate to any other country without restrictions on capacity, frequency or aircraft type. In addition, Singapore carriers can operate like a domestic carrier in Uruguay and offer any number of services between cities, and vice versa. This brings the number of Air Services Agreements Singapore has with other countries to more than 120, of which more than 50 are Open Skies Agreements.

WELCOME ON BOARD, ‘TEA OR COFFEE ANYONE?’ It is the one drink you can always ask for onboard a flight; tea or coffee. But have you noticed how many of the crew enter the airline with pre-bought coffee cups when there is plenty on board? The reason is the well known dirtiness of the water used to make the onboard drinks. In a recent investigative report, the water was found to contain high levels of bacteria. It is an issue which has been known about for many years and attempts to clean up the water have reduced only a bit the cleanliness of the water used. Although no reports of people being sick due to the water have been found, it is advisable to only drink bottled water on board, as the sediment in the bottom of the onboard hot water tank is not a pretty sight!

DOBROLET: THE NEW LOW-FARE AIRLINE FROM AEROFLOT Aeroflot Russian Airlines has launched its low-cost airline, Dobrolet. Based in Moscow, it will have a fleet of 8 Boeing 737-800 aircraft in a one class configuration and is expected to start operating in spring of 2014. Initially the airline will fly to the most popular destinations in the European part of Russia. It will offer a reduction of approx 40% compared to the ‘traditional’ carriers and will be achieved by increasing the number of seats in the cabin; offering only direct ticket sales; an additional payment for a comfort seat, checked baggage, priority boarding, and meals on board; a possibility to book and sell additional services online at the company’s web site. The Aeroflot Group will totally own the new company and will have invested UK£63, (EU€74) million in the first 2 years. The airline plans for annual fleet growth of an average of 8 aircraft per year.

ETIHAD TO FLY FROM ABU DHABI TO CALIFORNIA Etihad Airways is to launch flights from Abu Dhabi to Los Angeles International airport in 2014, making it the 4th US destination for the carrier. Etihad will operate a daily service using a 237-seat Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. The new route will cater for growing leisure and business traffic demands in Los Angeles. Etihad already operates flights to Chicago O'Hare, New York JFK and Washington Dulles. The US is growing in importance to both Etihad and the UAE, with trade between the 2 countries expected to increase above the current annual level of UK£14, (EU€17) billion.

AIRBUS ENTERS ASIAN MARKETS Airbus has secured its 1st ever sale to Japan Airlines, pushing Boeing out of the deal. Boeing has had a strong partnership with major Japanese manufacturing partners who have built more and more portions of its jets. The order by Japan Airlines (JAL) for 31 Airbus A350 aircraft is not good news for Boeing. On the other hand, Airbus is losing in its long range aircrafts, as Germany’s Lufthansa, has confirmed an order for 34 Boeing 777-9Xs.

NO AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHTS TO BARBADOS The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) has confirmed that the American Airlines flight from JFK airport will cease as of January 2014, equating to 7 less flights a week to the island. This is not good news when combined with a 6.3% reduction in long stay visitors to Barbados. However, the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) and the Ministry of Tourism are working hard to build on the flight, which is so vital to all islands relying on tourism and cargo. Talks are underway with other airlines to take on the lost flights. To date there is assistance from JetBlue to maintain the route. With a flight terminating from the New York area, the impact will be huge. All airlines want maximum capacity if they offer flights and as an island nation, Barbados uses a 3rd of its budget to maintain airline capacity into the country.

BANGKOK AIRWAYS TO FLY TO NAY PYI DAW Bangkok Airways is to start flying to Mandalay and Naypyidaw, making it the 1st international service to the Myanmar capital Naypyidaw. The 3 times a week flights will be with a 70-seat ATR 72-500 aircraft. This launch comes ahead of Thai AirAsia’s announcement in June that it planned to launch a 4 times a week Bangkok-Naypyidaw service starting from October. Bangkok Airways will now be the 3rd airline alongside Thai AirAsia and THAI Smile to offer the

route. Bangkok Airways currently operates 3 daily flights from Bangkok to Yangon and will add one more daily flight from the end of October.

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AVIATION AROUND THE WORLD

VANCOUVER IS BASE FOR ICELANDAIR Icelandair will take off from Vancouver to more than 20 destinations in Europe from May 2014 and continue through until October 2014 with services 2 times a week. Flights will depart from Vancouver International Airport to Keflavik International Airport and connect to flights to Icelandair’s European network which includes popular Scandinavian destinations like Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm. In addition to Vancouver, Icelandair has also announced seasonal services from Edmonton, Alberta starting from the end of March 2014, continuing 4 times a week until January 2015, Geneva, Switzerland starting May 2014, continuing twice weekly until September 2014. Icelandair offers services to Iceland from Boston, New York-JFK, Seattle, Denver and Toronto with seasonal service from Washington, D.C., Minneapolis-St. Paul, Orlando Sanford, Halifax, Anchorage, Newark, Vancouver and Edmonton. Only Icelandair allows passengers to stopover in Iceland at no additional airfare.

TRANSAERO AIRLINES & EASYJET SIGN COMMERCIAL AGREEMENT Russia’s 2nd biggest carrier, Transaero Airlines and the UK’s largest airline, easyJet have signed a Commercial Agreement on flights between Moscow (Domodedovo) and London (Gatwick). Transaero Airlines will distribute a proportion of seats on easyJet flights on the Moscow (Domodedovo) to London (Gatwick) route. This is in addition to Transaero’s own services from Moscow Vnukovo airport to Heathrow airport. Easyjet now operate 2 services a day between Moscow Domodedovo and London Gatwick using its fleet of modern Airbus aircraft. London Gatwick is located well for direct access into the capital city or out into the south east of England. It also provides access to easyJet’s wider network of 100 destinations across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

BA BANGKOK FLIGHTS MOVE TERMINALS AT LHR From the end of October all BA operated flights to and from Bangkok will move from London Heathrow Terminal 3 to Terminal 5.

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