Category: Latest Travel News

Bangkok (Thailand) – December 6, 2018 (travelindex.com) – A landmark project to improve the ratio of both domestic and foreign visitors between main cities vs secondary cities. The Royal Thai Government has approved a series of tax deduction measures to promote seminars, leisure travel and MICE events in 55 second-tier tourist provinces nationwide all through 2018.

The measures will support the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s latest “Go Local” campaign, a landmark project to promote the kingdom’s emerging generation of secondary destinations, better balance the distribution of tourist arrivals between urban and rural areas, even out the seasonality factor between the months of travel, and encourage more travel during weekdays to reduce pressure on the weekends.

TAT will partner with several corporations and organisations in both the public and private sectors to implement and promote the project all through the year.

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said: “When local communities grow, the country grows. With travel and tourism now widely recognised as a major contributor to grassroots economies, job creation and income distribution, we are now taking specific measures to ensure that the benefits are better distributed across the breadth and depth of the entire kingdom.”

The target is to improve the ratio of both domestic and foreign visitors between main cities vs secondary cities from 64:36 to 60:40. The project will target 10 million tourists to travel to secondary cities and communities, generating an estimated 10 billion Baht in tourism revenue in 2018.

The tax deductions will be applicable for domestic travel to the following provinces: Nakhon Si Thammarat, Udon Thani, Chiang Rai, Lop Buri, Phitsanulok, Suphan Buri, Ubon Ratchathani, Nakhon Nayok, Nong Khai, Sa Kaeo, Loei, Tak, Trat, Phetchabun, Chanthaburi, Mukdahan, Nakhon Sawan, Ratchaburi, Samut Songkhram, Buri Ram, Chaiyaphum, Phatthalung, Trang, Si Sa Ket, Prachin Buri, Satun, Chumphon, Sukhothai, Surin, Sakon Nakhon, Lamphun, Nakhon Phanom, Uttaradit, Ranong, Lampang, Roi Et, Mae Hong Son, Phichit, Phrae, Chai Nat, Nan, Ang Thong, Maha Sarakham, Kamphaeng Phet, Uthai Thani, Narathiwat, Yala, Phayao, Bueng Kan, Kalasin, Yasothon, Sing Buri, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Amnat Charoen, and Pattani.

Details of the Go Local campaign are as follows:

Enjoy Local

A TAT Plus online card will be launched specifically for use in local communities and secondary cities in partnership with F&B outlets, souvenir shops, shopping at Pracharath Sookjai shop, petrol stations, car rental companies, etc. Cardholders will get special discounts and mileage accrual for redemption with various domestic airlines.

SET in the Local

Encourage companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) to hold their MICE events; such as, conferences and seminars as well as corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities in local communities and secondary cities in the 55 provinces, especially during weekdays. Partners include the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the Local Administration Department and various Chambers of Commerce. A corporate tax exemption on income equal to 100% of expenses will be offered for seminars and accommodation rooms, transport and other expenses incurred for conducting staff training seminars in the 55 provinces. This is equal to a 200% corporate tax deduction for such staff training seminar costs.

Local Link

Cooperate with domestic tour operators and travel agents to offer incentives; such as, discounted meals when buying local tour packages covering secondary destinations. An exemption from personal income tax for the amount paid out to tour operators, hotel operators or homestay operators for domestic tours to the 55 provinces, but not in excess of 15,000 Baht in total.

Eat Local

Promote consumption of local food and purchase of local raw materials in cooperation with the Thai Restaurants Association, celebrity chefs, credit card companies, local banks and provincial authorities. Attract food lovers by organising “Eat Local Week” activities under the aegis of different TAT domestic offices all over the country. Offer opportunities to earn points and get privileges; such as, dining at Michelin star restaurants.

Our Local

Partner with the theme and recreational parks, museums and local provincial administrations to organise local community events based on their unique culture and identity. Specific activities will be organised to promote travel to different secondary cities every week, accompanied by rewards schemes for purchase of local arts and craft items and advertising support to promote the events.

Local HeRos

Organise “mobile clinics” to upgrade the quality of human resources at the community level, enhance their knowledge base to boost their competitive advantage and open up opportunities of the Digital Age. Support speakers, academics, artists and celebrities who can create and design locally-oriented products and services and help local communities access funding support.

Local Strong

Strengthen local communities through more integrated public-private sector cooperation, reinforce the supply chain and help improve the quality of products. Develop “Creative Tourism” to enhance the brand image and appeal of tourist attractions, and support new start-up entrepreneurs to promote secondary destinations.

A “Go Local” Directory will be launched to provide specific information on dining, travelling and accommodation for getting tax deductions.

Mr. Yuthasak said, “We want tourism and related activities to really benefit local people and give them a new source of income and pride. This project will allow many local communities off-the-beaten track to show off their unique Thainess while looking forward to a brighter future.”

For more information on the 55 secondary destination cities, please visit: GoThailand.org

Mahe, Victoria (Seychelles) – December 3, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Seychelles makes the Official list of lowest security risk countries falling 9th in the World. The safest countries are listed in that order: Luxembourg, Switzerland, Slovenia, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Seychelles and Cape Verde. This is good news for us as Seychellois and for our tourism industry where Security and Safety are listed as key USPs of the islands. But the challenge is remaining in that list which is why it is more important today than it has ever been for Seychelles to maintain its foreign policy of ‘Friends of All and Enemy of None’ and not to be inviting world super powers to bring their rivalry on the doorstep of our islands.

Blue Economy may bring new Tax for Seychelles Tourism Industry

As the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi was closing, news broke in Seychelles that discussions were taking place for a new tourism tax to sustain the local Blue Economy machinery. The tourism trade were surprised and shocked and called to try and find clarity. Tourism will always try to pass on all its lumbered with, as taxes and fees. The question remains, how far can Seychelles push their luck before a backlash is felt, when Seychelles prices itself out of the market for tourists using the ‘home grown’ establishments? The small hotels are the ones who are caught with increases in taxes and fees that they cannot pass on, and end up having to absorb them.

The Commonwealth has added a new Action Group to its Blue Charter. It will address Marine Protected Areas and will be championed by Seychelles, as the islands are deciding on its Assumption Island Military Base, or Coast Guard partnership with India.

Seychelles will protect 30% of its 1.4-million-square-kilometre exclusive economic zone by 2020, tripling the SDG14 and CBD Aichi targets for MPAs. The 411,000 sq km of Indian Ocean will be protected under a US$21-million debt swap for ocean conservation and ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change. The local Seychellois Blue Economy experts and technicians will need to have the country’s political will to live by words of protection, and safeguarding for future generations, as good custodians.

The Commonwealth’s Blue Charter remains an initiative to protect the oceans, seas and lakes. Nine member countries known as Action Groups will lead on different areas of oceans and its governance. Seychelles will need to walk the talk as the eyes of the world will be on its actions. Protect, must mean protect, and not playing nuclear submarines that is part of the creation of a superpower military base.

Dugong spoted at African Banks in Seychelles

It was just a couple of years ago that the Seychelles News Agency reported “A creature of mystery – rare dugong is sighted in Seychelles at Aldabra”. Today, a boat has confirmed a Dugong was sighted at African Banks. This is good news and reason enough to intensify protection efforts.

Only last week, we wrote about a Whale Shark cruising close to La Digue Island, showing the works and policies of the past are paying off. Let us stay the course and stand firm in saving Seychelles’ fragile ecosystem from super power rivalry.

Workforce challenges persist in tourism industry

The festive season in on our doorstep and the hospitality trade is pulling its hair out, citing shortages in staff. The category of hotels least affected by serious workforce issues are the smaller ‘owner manager’ establishments, but they will also be first to fall prey to continued cost increases by the country. The five start establishments and other high end resorts need staff and good staff, to meet the challenges of hosting the more affluent tourists, who expect value for money. Three months to have approval for Gainful Occupation Permit (GOP) for foreign employees is leaving Seychelles with employers receiving their second and third choices, as the good ones will not be waiting for this length of time for Seychelles Authorities to go through their bureaucratic procedures. The high yield clients have expectations and one key expectation is service; this can only be provided by good and trained staff. Tourism remains the pillar of the island’s economy and if trained staff are required, it should be prioritised.

Seychelles National Museum of History opens its doors

The new Seychelles National Museum of History is in the centre of Victoria in an impressive building that was constructed inn 1885 by the ‘Banque Orientale’. This was the first modern building of the Seychelles which was at that time being administered as part of Mauritius. In 1892 the Bank closed its doors and the land on which stood the city centre building reverted back to the Government and they also bought the building for Rupees 30. The building then became the Supreme Court and the island’s Treasury. The Supreme Court remained in this building until 2013.

In 1984 the building was declared a National Monument.

The National Museum on its part was first created in 1965. It was an annex of the National Archives that was situated in the Carnegie Building. It had two main sections the History and Natural History. In 1992 the National Archives was transferred to new facilities in State House Avenue where the Museum was positioned on the ground floor. In 2004 the National Museum of History was moved to the National Cultural Centre in Francis Rachel Street and has now been relocated in 2018 in this impressive city centre building.

Phuket (Thailand) – December 3, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The 32nd Phuket King’s Cup Regatta was off to a flying start on Monday with a strong breeze of up to 17 knots, allowing race organizers to hold two races in all classes off the southern part of the resort island.

In the top flight IRC Zero Class – for the slick, stripped down racing keelboats – Australian Ray Roberts and his crew on Team Hollywood managed to edge out defending champions Tom and Kevin Whitcraft on their Thai-registered boat THA 72, which was skippered by Don Whitcraft in both races.

In two closely-fought races, Team Hollywood won by narrow margins, and the two boats are expected to be engaged in some close racing right up until the final day on Saturday.

“We had a great competition in the first race, but not so good in the second race,” said defending champion Kevin Whitcraft. “We’ll have to lift our game in the coming races,” he added.

The IRC 1 Class was also a close battle for first place, with Mandrake III coming out on top overall after winning the second race. King’s Cup regulars Nick Burns and Fred Kinmonth finished third on Mandrake III in the first race, but came roaring back to take first place in the second race.

Mandrake III leads East Marine Emagine by only half a point after two races, with Loco and Aquarii tied for third place in the IRC 1 Class.

One boat that grabs the spotlight wherever it goes is the 60-foot trimaran SKH Scallywag Fuku Bid, a winner at the recent Raja Muda Regatta in Malaysia, and it did not disappoint on the Andaman Sea off Phuket on Monday.

With one of its hulls completely out of the water as it cut through the sea at high speed, leaving everything in its wake, its only real rival was its handicap. However, despite being about to hit almost 40 knots in a strong breeze, the Scallywag crew had to settle for second place on Monday behind Australian Dan Fidock’s Fugazi in the Racing Multihull Class.

Scallywag was first over the line by a country mile in both races on Monday, but Fugazi also sailed well and once the handicap was deducted from the big boat’s time, the smaller Aussie-helmed boat took the honors.

Closer to the shore, the young sailors in the dinghy classes had practices races and honed their skills on Monday in preparation for the start of their opening races on Wednesday in the waters off Kata Beach.

Youngsters from Phuket as well as Sattahip, Pattaya, Koh Phangan, Songhkla and other parts of Thailand will be contesting the Optimist Boys and Girls, Laser 4.7, Laser Radial, Laser Standard and 420 classes, some of them already champions and representatives of the country at international events.

These up-and-coming youngsters will one day be aboard the bigger boats racing further out to sea.

One of the biggest regatta fleets in Asia will take to the water again on Tuesday morning as the second day of racing gets underway in the Phuket King’s Cup, which finishes on Saturday.

There are 11 classes of keelboats and multihulls competing in this year’s regatta, which is held off its traditional base at the Beyond Resort Kata at Kata Beach.

With the Royal patronage of His Majesty the King of Thailand, the regatta is organized by the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Organizing Committee under the auspices of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, in conjunction with the Sports Authority of Thailand, the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy and the Province of Phuket.

The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta is organized by the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Organizing Committee under the auspices of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, in conjunction with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy and the Province of Phuket.

Bangkok (Thailand) – December 2, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Iconsiam, landmark development and iconic landmark of Thailand’s eternal prosperity on the Chao Phraya River, recently held an opening ceremony of “Bangkok Illumination at Iconsiam”, taking place until January 31, 2019, at Iconsiam on Charoen Nakorn Road to promote the country’s remarkable arts and culture among Thai and foreign visitors during the festive season. The opening ceremony started with “River of Life, River of Art” performance before Mr.Taweesak Lertprapan, Deputy Governor of Bangkok, marked an official opening at River Park, Iconsiam, which was studded with Iconsiam management, sponsors, and renowned actors and celebrities coming to celebrate the season of joy.

Mrs. Chadatip Chutrakul, Director of Iconsiam Co., Ltd., said, “Iconsiam, The Iconsiam Residence Corporation Ltd., The Iconsiam Superlux Residence Corporation Ltd., and Siam Commercial Bank jointly hosted “Bangkok Illumination at Iconsiam” by the Chao Phraya River for the first time in Thailand. The event aims to not only display contemporary arts that embody traditional Thai patterns representing the national identity, but also promote the country’s remarkable arts and culture among Thai and foreign visitors during the festive season. Furthermore, it will reinforce the position of Bangkok as one of the ‘top tourist destinations in the world’ by presenting ‘the first in the world’ and ‘the first in Thailand’.

Iconsiam, the latest iconic landmark by the Chao Phraya River, opens its door to welcome all visitors to join Christmas and New Year celebration. They will be captivated by the longest line of Christmas trees stretching more than 400 meters along the river. The sparkling trees were inspired by Thai identity. “Lotus”, symbol of life, was re-interpreted to represent the worship
of river, which blesses people with joyful New Year. ‘Bai Sri’ symbolizes the gesture of presenting a New Year gift to everyone. Also featured in the event will be ‘Magic Carpet Bangkok’ by Miguel Chevalier and Software Cyrille Henry & Antoine Villeret, Mr. Chevalier’s largest interactive multimedia mapping or floor mapping. Miguel Chevalier, world-renowned French artist who pioneers digital and virtual arts and is the mastermind behind this great creation, applies an advanced lighting technology to feature an exquisite art that incorporates Thai patterns and national identity in an interactive way. Projected on a vast area, the art invites visitors to step out of the reality into the virtual world.

Be invited into the magical light carpet, which is on display from today – December 27, 2018 and January 5 – 31, 2019. In addition, throughout eight weeks, the visitors will enjoy a wide array of entertainment performed in two rounds, at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., every weekend in rotation. Throughout December, they will be entertained by “River of Life, River of Art” performance. As a highlight Christmas celebration on December 25, Santa and Santarina will spread the joy while a choir will sing Christmas carols in an angelic voice. Throughout January, a colourful parade of drummers will excite visitors with their beat under “the colourful rhythm” concept. On January 12, kids should not miss a range of fun awaiting them to celebrate the National Children’s Day.

Those interested are welcome to explore and admire the magical light displayed amid joyous ambience and River view like never before at River Park, Iconsiam on Charoen Nakorn Road, between today and January 31, 2019.

For further information, please contact:
Public Relations Department of Iconsiam Co., Ltd.
Natthanan Ussaneemas (Puk)
M:086-393-8700
E: natthanan.u@iconsiam.com

Khon Kaen (Thailand) – November 29, 2018 – The PATA Destination Marketing Forum 2018, with the theme ‘Growth with Goals’, officially began on Wednesday, November 28 attracting over 300 delegates from 25 destinations. The event, hosted by the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) with the support of Khon Kaen Province, brought together delegates from the public and private sectors for inspiring and insightful discussions on some of the major issues in marketing and managing tourism growth to lesser-known destinations.

Delegates travelled from all corners of the globe including Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, The Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, USA and Vietnam.

Addressing a media briefing at the AVANI Khon Kaen Hotel & Convention Centre on November 29, PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy said, “This event stems from the need to help secondary and tertiary areas grow and develop into widely recognised, bucket-listed tourism destinations. Aligning with our advocacy theme of tourism dispersal the Forum shines the spotlight on new and emerging destinations, introducing delegates to lesser-known yet attractive corners of the world. It is designed to assist communities economically in these destinations by encouraging dispersion of tourists to new frontiers.”

Stressing the importance of holding such events, he added, “As travel and tourism becomes a greater contributor to the economic well-being of each destination, plans for the responsible development and sustaining those elements generating growth must be taken into consideration.”

Dr. Somsak Changtragul, Governor of Khon Kaen Province, said, “I am so delightful that Khon Kaen was selected to represent the Northeastern or Isan Thai local culture. This is the first time that you will touch the charm of Isan – that is awaiting for you to discover.”

Ms. Supawan Teerarat, TCEB Senior Vice President – Strategic Business Development & Innovation, said, “Khon Kaen is definitely a rising star in both tourism and MICE. This province, however, is a member of Thailand northeastern region, the most populated and poorest region, but rich in nature, culture and history. It is the reason why TCEB has made Khon Kaen one of the country’s highlighted MICE cities along with Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phuket.”

Mrs. Srisuda Wanaphinyosak, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Europe, Africa, Middle East and the Americas), said “This PATA event is complied with TAT’s latest campaign of “Amazing Thailand Go Local” which is a landmark project to promote the kingdom’s emerging generation of lesser known destinations as well as the Hub and Hook strategy, with the main city acting as a hub and hook to the nearby lesser known destinations. Khon Kaen is a great example of a hub city and hook to Udon Thani, Nong Khai, and Kalasin. Also, through our technical tour earlier today, Khon Kaen has shown its charm of unique culture, passed-on tradition, tasty cuisine and the true hospitality of the local people.

On Thursday, November 28, delegates had the opportunity to join the Technical Tour and Tourism Marketing Treasure Hunt. They were challenged to discover the gems of Khon Kaen and the surrounding area by engaging with the culture and people of Khon Kaen, taste their food, admire the landscape and savour their history – while leveraging digital tools to identify, collect and promote their new-found travel “treasures.” The activities during the day will be incorporated into the interactive digital marketing workshop taking place during the conference on Friday, November 30.

Other topics to be discussed during the conference include the ‘Status of Destination Management Around the World’, ‘The Role of Local Experiences in Destination Marketing’, ‘Managing the Disconnect between Destination Organisations and Communities’, ‘Transborder Marketing: Case Studies of GMS’, ‘Fighting Undertourism Through Innovative Storytelling’, ‘Calculating our Impact as Destinations’, and ‘Leveraging Technology to Revolutionise the Travel Space’.

Delegates will hear from established and experienced industry professionals representing Art Inspire Company Limited, BBC Global News, Capilano University, E-Tourism Frontiers, Forte Hotel Group, Go Beyond Asia, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, Resonance, Swisscontact, USAID, Venture Republic, and Yaana Ventures.

About PATA
Founded in 1951, PATA is a not-for-profit membership association that acts as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its more than 800 member organisations, including 95 government, state and city tourism bodies, 20 international airlines and airports, 102 hospitality organisations and 70 educational institutions, as well as over a hundred young tourism professional (YTP) members across the world. The PATA network also embraces the grassroots activism the PATA Chapters and Student Chapters, who organise numerous travel industry training programmes and business development events across the world. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 35 local PATA Chapters worldwide, while hundreds of students are members of the 22 PATA Student Chapters globally. Their local activities underpins PATA’s membership in Uniting Travel, a coalition of the world’s major Travel & Tourism organisations dedicated to ensuring that the sector speaks with one voice and acts in unison on the major issues and includes ACI, CLIA, IATA, ICAO, WEF, UNWTO and the WTTC. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has official offices or representation in Beijing and London. Visit www.PATA.org.

Angeles City (Philippines) – November 29, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels and Resorts will open its first SureStay hotel in The Philippines in the second quarter of 2019, inviting the country to experience one of the newest hotel brands in the industry – the SureStay Hotel Group.

Located in the center of Angeles City, a vibrant tourist destination near the country’s capital of Manila, the SureStay Plus by Best Western Regency Angeles City Clark will provide guests with the amenities today’s travelers have come to expect. SureStay’s service promise reflects the brand and the hotel’s commitment to providing quality service and value to its guests: “If something goes wrong, we will make it right. You should feel sure about your stay.”

“The SureStay Hotel Group is poised for success in The Philippines,” commented Ron Pohl, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “Angeles City is the ideal location for our first SureStay property in The Philippines—the bustling city has become a haven for domestic travelers from nearby Manila, while the rapid expansion of Clark International Airport makes the city an increasingly popular destination for international visitors.”

The hotel will feature 56 well-appointed guest rooms with an impressive array of amenities, including an outdoor pool, restaurant, café, and business services, all at an attractive price point.

Perfectly located on Surla Street, a main thoroughfare in downtown Angeles City, the property’s setting is ideal for guests looking to be in the heart of the city. Guests will be able to explore the local area with the city’s many attractions available within a short walk of the hotel, including the SM City Clark mall, PAGCOR casino and Fields Avenue “walking street”. The property will be easily accessible via Clark International Airport which offers direct connections to major international cities including Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Dubai, Seoul and Taipei.

“With its combination of international midscale accommodation, excellent service and value-for-money, SureStay Hotel Group is perfectly suited to the Philippines,” added Olivier Berrivin, Best Western’s Managing Director of International Operations – Asia. “Angeles City offers a unique and enticing destination for the first SureStay property in Philippines, and the city’s unique vibrancy complements the modern design offered by the SureStay Hotel Group, providing guests with an experience they can count on.”

Developed by Tambayan Hospitality Group Inc., SureStay Plus by Best Western Regency Angeles City Clark will be operated under a franchise agreement with SureStay Hotel Group and Best Western. The signing ceremony was attended by Abdul S. Jamal, Chairman of Tambayan Hospitality, and Olivier Berrivin, Best Western’s Managing Director of International Operations – Asia.

Best Western currently operates five hotels and resorts all across The Philippines, making it one of the country’s largest international hotel operators.

About Best Western Hotels and Resorts:
Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 4,200* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers 13 hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Vīb®, GLō®, Executive Residency by Best Western®, Sadie HotelSM, Aiden HotelSM, BW Premier Collection® by Best Western, and BW Signature Collection® by Best Western, as well as its recently launched franchise offerings: SureStay® Hotel by Best Western, SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Collection® by Best Western. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including 66 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2018, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands, and Fast Company honoring Best Western Hotels & Resorts with a spot in the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality category. Best Western has also won nine consecutive AAA®/CAA® Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brand’s commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAA/CAA’s nearly 58 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Best Western-branded hotels were top ranked in J.D. Power’s 2017 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study – ranking first in breakfast (food and beverage category) for midscale; and second in overall guest satisfaction. Over 35 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western-branded hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Google® Street View provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.
* All Best Western and SureStay-branded hotels are independently owned and operated.
* Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.

Contact information:
Marketing Communications Department
Best Western Hotels and Resorts – Asia
Tel: +66 2 656 1260

Sirimanas Maungrod
Email: sirimanas.maungrod@bestwestern.com

Orapan Sornnuwat
Email: orapan.sornnuwat@bestwestern.com

 

Hong Kong (Hong Kong) – November 29, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Feasibility studies conducted before the construction of exhibition centres should take into account the site- and destination-specific factors professional organisers consider most important, argue Dr Jin-Soo Lee and his research postgraduate student Hwabong Lee of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in a recently published article. Breaking from the traditional focus on the factors that attract visitors, the researchers consider the exhibition sector in Korea and provide convention and exhibition (C&E) management and stakeholders with useful information about the factors that ultimately determine the “effective ways to manage an operating centre”.

The meeting, incentives, convention and exhibition (MICE) industry continues to grow as its significant economic benefits are recognised worldwide. The researchers note that C&E centres are “believed to serve as economic catalysts” that can “revitalise downtown business districts”. Consequently, many countries vie for opportunities to host conventions and exhibitions in efforts to boost local tourism and trade. These events can bring in huge numbers of visitors and provide economic benefits not just for the exhibition organisers, service contractors and venues, but also for the local hospitality industry, which provides accommodation, food and beverages for both exhibitors and visitors.

In Korea, the exhibition industry contributes well over US$2 billion to the country’s economy and provides more than 17,000 full-time equivalent jobs. The researchers note that Korea currently has 13 C&E centres offering 324,368 square metres of space for MICE, ranking it third in Asia in terms of capacity. Both the national and regional governments “substantially invest in MICE infrastructure” to promote the country as a MICE destination, and the number of exhibitions that took place in 2013 was more than four times higher than the number in 2000. Although manufacturing-based exhibitions tend to be hosted in China, Korea is popular for “education/publication, culture/art/broadcast, food and beverage and government/public-related” exhibitions.

Understanding the factors that attract both exhibitors and visitors is clearly helpful for the effective planning of new venues and successful management of existing centres. The researchers argue, however, that although some studies have investigated the factors that attract visitors to conferences and exhibitions, no study has yet “explored the factors that exhibition organisers carefully consider when selecting a C&E centre”. To address this, they set out to identify both the centre- and destination-specific attributes that Korean exhibition organisers consider most important when selecting a venue.

In the first part of the study, interviews were conducted with nine industry professionals from different companies in Korea, all of whom were in senior positions and had at least 10 years of experience in organising exhibitions. The researchers asked the professionals about what they considered the “important attributes for selecting a C&E centre”, and then combined this information with a literature review to generate a list of questionnaire items. After review by an expert panel and statistical analysis, they compiled a questionnaire consisting of 33 items referring to C&E centre attributes.

The second part of the study comprised a survey of staff members with at least 3 years of experience in organising exhibitions. To “minimise bias unique to the destination environment (i.e. Korea) and the types and themes of shows”, the respondents were asked to complete the survey as if they were selecting a C&E venue for an exhibition with no specific theme and in no specific country or city. One hundred and sixty-six employees from 21 exhibition organising firms provided usable answers. The researchers then grouped the 33 items into 9 different dimensions, of which 5 were centre-specific and 4 were destination-specific, and assessed their relative importance.

The accessibility of a centre was found to be the most important dimension overall, because it was deemed to be highly critical for attracting both exhibitors and visitors. The researchers measured accessibility not just in terms of ground and air access, but also in terms of logistics, which they comment are “an important component” for exhibitors that need to ship their exhibition materials to the centre.

The next dimension, the image of the centre, is important for promoting and branding an exhibition. As the researchers point out, major exhibitions are “mainly held in internationally renowned C&E centres” that boost the image and branding of the exhibition through being associated with the centre’s image. Unsurprisingly, organisers also considered the cost of renting an exhibition hall as an important attribute because exhibitions are profit-oriented commercial events.

Although the quality of staff and service contractors were perceived as less critical by the interviewees, they were still important. In particular, the quality of staff members and service contractors who work closely with the organisers in the “planning, management and on-site operation” of an exhibition directly affects the quality of the exhibition and is thus a significant selection factor.

The centre’s facilities were considered the least important factor, but the researchers explain that this is probably because Korea’s C&E centres are relatively new and offer excellent facilities, thus organisers may not need to give them high consideration. They also note, however, that organisers are increasingly expecting centres to be “equipped with a visitor promotion assistance programme”, including promotion through social networking sites, to attract as many visitors as possible.

Among the destination attributes, the organisers considered the “synergy and cohesion” between the industrial environment and the theme of the exhibition to be the most important factor. The industrial environment includes the support of “relevant industry associations and government bodies”, which can be used to promote the event and attract both exhibitors and visitors.

The availability of a wide range of hotel accommodation was another important destination attribute, given that most exhibitors and visitors will require overnight accommodation. This is more important than the C&E site environment, which includes the local language and security, and extra-exhibition opportunities, such as the availability of shopping, dining and local attractions.

The results of the study provide C&E centre management and stakeholders with valuable insights into the factors that should be considered when planning new centres and managing existing ones. As the researchers warn, a “highly optimistic and inappropriate feasibility study” could lead to huge losses that damage the local economy and “tarnish the destination image”. Their findings imply that stakeholders should carefully assess the local environment as the most important factor in a feasibility study. In particular, accessibility, the industrial environment and hotel accommodation are critical because exhibition organisers value these attributes highly, yet the C&E centre management will have little control over the local infrastructure after the centre is built.

The findings also have implications for how existing centres can “strategically boost revenues from exhibitions”. Management needs to “continuously monitor and manage” the centre to remain competitive, and the results of the study suggest that focusing on the centre’s image, its facilities, the cost of exhibition halls and the quality of staff and service contractors will be most beneficial in terms of attracting event organisers. As many centres already offer similarly high-quality facilities, it may be difficult to create a competitive advantage, but the study findings point to visitor promotion facilities as one area that can create added value. Thus, centres could consider providing advertising facilities through indoor and outdoor billboards, social networking and credit card companies.

Whereas attention is usually focused on the factors that attract visitors to exhibitions and conferences, the researchers focus on the alternative perspective of the exhibition organiser. This is an important shift, because their findings offer valuable new insights that should help existing and prospective C&E centres to plan, manage and operate their facilities more effectively.

Lee, Hwabong and Lee, Jin-Soo. (2017). An Exploratory Study of Factors that Exhibition Organisers Look for when Selecting Convention and Exhibition Centers. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 34(8), 1001-1017.

Contact information:
Ms Pauline Ngan, Senior Marketing Manager
School of Hotel and Tourism Management
Telephone : (852) 3400 2634
E-mail      : pauline.ngan@polyu.edu.hk
Website    : www.polyu.edu.hk/htm

Macao (Macau) – November 29, 2018
(travelindex.com) –
With the arrival of winter soon upon us, Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace Cotai will partner with award-winning chefs to present the tremendously successful ‘Wynn Guest Chef Series’ for a third time. Also, signature restaurants at Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace will present a very special selection of winter seasonal dishes designed to warm the soul from December through February 2019.

Wynn Guest Chef Series

Florilege (Japan)

First listed as the “One to Watch” in 2016, Tokyo’s Florilège in Aoyama to rank 3 rd on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2018. At the helm of Florilège is Chef Hiroyasu Kawate, who also successfully led his restaurant to receive two Michelin stars from the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2018. As one of the most highly respected chefs in Asia today, Chef Kawate will use Mizumi at Wynn Palace as his stage to create imaginative modern French cuisine with the freshest and highest quality of Japanese ingredients.

Dates: January 9 – 10
Venue: Mizumi, Wynn Palace

Family Li Imperial Cuisine (China)

Chef Ivan Li, of Family Li Imperial Cuisine received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the2014 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards and is one of the most sought-after Chinese chefs in the country. He is the second generation of the Family Li Imperial Cuisine restaurant and will fittingly work with Chinese Executive Chef Liu Guo Zhu, who also oversees Golden Flower which preserves the rich traditions of Tan cuisine. Together, they will present the essence of Qing Dynasty court cuisine. Chef Li strictly follows his ancestral training, while also blending contemporary culinary ideas to carry on the traditions of Li Imperial cuisine. As with Tan cuisine, the finest ingredients are used with the most delicate of cooking methods.

Dates: February 18 – 19
Venue: Golden Flower, Wynn Macau

Sushi Saito (Japan)

For nine consecutive years, Sushi Saito has received three Michelin stars from the Michelin Guide Tokyo and in 2018, was ranked #27 on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The chefs at Sushi Saito go to extraordinary lengths to source the best ingredients to create sushi that balances texture, temperature and flavor. Sous Chef Shunji Hashiba, of Sushi Saito will be stationed at Sushi Mizumi at Wynn Palace, where he will present a variety of expertly sliced sashimi and Edo hand-held sushi for guests to savor.

Dates: February 23 – 24
Venue: Sushi Mizumi, Wynn Palace

Wynn Winter Flavors

Wynn Macau

The Michelin Two-Star and Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star award-winning restaurant Golden Flower features Tan cuisine which dates back to the late Qing Dynasty when a government official, Tan Zongjun served the best of northern and southern Chinese cuisines to the elite in China. Golden Flower also specializes in traditional Lu and Sichuan cuisines which are perfect for the winter months as well. Golden Flower will present two lamb dishes which are designed to warm the soul. The first is the Sichuan Style Braised Mongolian Lamb Chops and Chili Sauce with Garlic and Vegetables. The lamb chops are specially selected from the Inner Mongolian grasslands, where the meat of the lamb is tender and juicy. The lamb also has a hint of spice and is cooked in a clay pot. Another highlight is the Deep-fried Spice-Flavored Te Mana Lamb Ribs. These delicious New Zealand lamb ribs are full of flavor and sliced right at the table for guests to see.

Wing Lei, the Michelin one-star and Forbes Travel Guide five-Star award-winning restaurant will introduce a special truffle dish featuring the flavors of East and West this winter. The team of chefs have created Scrambled Egg White with Lobster and Broccoli Served with Shaved Black Truffle, which features a beautiful blend of fresh lobster, Italian black truffles and fried Australian broccoli with ginger sauce.

The team of chefs at Ristorante il Teatro will also be on stage in their beautiful open kitchen to present a very special Hokkaido Scallop Tartar in honor of winter.  This dish features Hokkaido scallop tartar, stracciatella, Oscietra caviar, Romanesco florets, cauliflower cream, green pea puree and dill. The Hokkaido scallop are from the Sea of Okhotsk which is rich in nutrients, allowing the scallops to grow larger and sweeter. The Oscietra caviar from Kaluga Queen blends beautifully with the cauliflower cream and green pea puree.

Wynn Palace Cotai

SW Steakhouse is renowned for its prime meat and succulent seafood as well as its captivating theatrical dining experience.  This winter, the team of chefs at SW Steakhouse are offering Wagyu Braised Beef Cheeks which are slow braised for eight hours. The tender, wagyu beef cheeks are then glazed with pomegranate molasses, served with charred carrot and spiced rice featuring aromas and flavors that are out of this world.

From December 17, 2018 to February 28, 2019, the luxurious Wing Lei Palace is presenting an authentically Cantonese dish to warm the soul this winter – Braised Fish Maw, Sea Cucumber and Guinea Fowl Soup. For centuries, this soup has been enjoyed by imperial families. In keeping with tradition, this dish will be prepared in the same classic way, but rather than using snake meat, guinea fowl will be used. Together with fish maw and sea cucumber, this soup will be a wonderfully nourishing winter for guests to enjoy.

For more details, you may also visit: wynnpalace.com

About Wynn Macau

Wynn Macauis a luxury hotel and casino resort in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China with two iconic towers featuring a total of 1,008 spacious rooms and suites, approximately 273,000 square feet of casino space, over 59,000 square feet of  retail space, eight casual and fine dining  restaurants, two  spas, a  salon and a pool. The resort proudly boasts three distinct entertainment experiences, including Macau’s only choreographed Performance Lake, blending lofty plumes of water, gracefully choreographed music from Broadway tunes to renowned Chinese songs, powerful LED lights and fire effects.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Serena Chin, Director – Public Relations
Tel: 853 8889 3909
Email:  serena.chin@wynnmacau.com

Aron Chan, Assistant Manager – Public Relations
Tel: 853 8889 3907
Email:  aron.chan@wynnpalace.com

Singapore (Singapore) – November 23, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Travelindex has recently launched its restaurant guide, Top 25 Restaurants – the Mastercard Affluent Dining Guide in 5 key cities across Asia Pacific. Top 25 Restaurants is the World’s 1st Restaurant Guide based on AI through it’s unique “Restaurant Rating Index”.

The ratings and ranking are based on patented, artificial intelligence and natural language processing technology, and, importantly, re-assessed by some of the world’s top culinary experts. Top25Restaurants.com is the world’s 1st restaurant guide based on AI.

The culinary experts are passionate and knowledgeable about food and restaurants they assess the décor, ambience, service, quality of ingredients used and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in the cuisine, value for money, and overall consistency.

Top25Restaurants.com is celebrating fine dining in each city highlighting its the culinary dynamism, as well as new trends and chefs supporting local community products. Top 25 Restaurants contributes to the prestige of the local fine dining scene and, with the integration into the Travelindex global ecosystem, contributes to attract more visitors and tourists to the cities and countries.

Begin your discovery of some of the world’s finest restaurants across Asia Pacific at www.Top25Restaurants.com/asia

For the best restaurants in Bangkok, visit www.Top25Restaurants.com/bangkok/
For the best restaurants in Singapore, visit www.Top25Restaurants.com/singapore/
For the best restaurants in Hong Kong, visit www.Top25Restaurants.com/hongkong/
For the best restaurants in Shanghai, visit www.Top25Restaurants.com/shanghai/
For the best restaurants in Delhi, visit www.Top25Restaurants.com/delhi/

Singapore (Singapore) – November 23, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Influential Brands, a think-tank research and business organisation which identifies, engages and recognises “The Champions of Excellence” throughout Asia, has named and recognised nine Thai companies as deserving winners at the 2018 Thailand’s Outstanding Brands. The winners were judged not only on their outstanding success in its own category, industry or domain, but also on their significant growth in the past few years. Some of the key indicators used to assess the companies’ performance include – profitability, revenue, number of stores, number of employees, among others.

From left to right: Mr Jorge Rodriquez, Managing Director of Influential Brands, Mr Chairat Sirivat, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Royal Thai Embassy to Singapore, Ms Vannee Leelavechbutr, Founder & CEO of Neo Target Company Limited, Ms Pavarisa Chumvigrand, Chief Marketing Officer of LINE Mobile Thailand Co. Ltd, Mrs Napasorn Pranich, CEO of SparSha Slimming Center, Mr Seah Kian Peng, CEO of NTUC Fairprice, Mr Somsak Mauthorn, Senior Executive Vice President of Siam Kubota Corporation Co. Ltd, Mr Piya Tantivachyanon, CEO of Superrich Currency Exchange (1965) Co. Ltd.

Mr Jorge Rodriguez, Managing Director of Influential Brands said: “With the ASEAN economic agenda gearing towards business expansion across Asia and enhancing productivity, we are delighted to recognise the exemplary efforts of Thai companies that are expanding and growing their businesses.”

This year, the nine top Thai companies winning the outstanding brands award ranged from food and beverage (F&B), fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) including agricultural machinery to financial services and online brands. Some of them have demonstrated sustainable double digit growth, continuous business development and integration of technology and innovation.

Ms Vannee Leelavechbutr, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Neo Target Company Limited, revealed that Neo Target will be the co-organiser of the inaugural Influential Brands Awards for companies in Thailand which will be held in Bangkok on 11 December.

“In response to this latest trend in markets across Asia, Neo Target hopes to raise awareness among Thai entrepreneurs and owners of Thai brands of the significance of organisational reputation management as well as the importance of improving brand acceptance and trust, in order to enhance their business growth and ensure their competitiveness both at national and international levels,” said Ms Leelavechbutr.

The highlights of the four award-winning Thai companies which attended the 2018 CEO Asia Summit are as follows:

Line Mobile – Without doubt, this is one of the fastest growing brands in the telecom industry. Recognised as the first and leading 100% digital mobile service provider in Thailand, Line Mobile disrupts the market by completely shifting consumer behaviour from offline to online. Keeping consumer centricity in mind, Line Mobile focuses on turning consumer frustrations from traditional mobile services into delightful user experience. With Line Mobile SIM, consumers can simply call, chat, and enjoy internet surfing at a cheaper rate than any competitor. In less than a year, Line Mobile has achieved phenomenal sales growth of over 250%.

Siam Kubota – The market leader of machinery solutions for agricultural industry and commanding a market share of almost 80% in Thailand, Siam Kubota is now recognised as the company for its vision of “Agricultural Innovation For The Future”. As an agricultural solutions provider in ASEAN, the company focuses on products and services development. It incorporates agricultural knowledge and experience with cutting-edge technology to sustainably enhance farming efficiency and thus contributing to the stability of Thailand’s agricultural sector, as well as to ensure food security for the global population.

Superrich Currency Exchange (1965) – Established since 1965, SuperRich is the best-known currency exchange service in Thailand. Recognising the ever-growing tourism industry, the company offers a more convenient option with more favourable rates and more accessible locations compared to other competitors. As of today, SuperRich has over 40 outlets throughout Bangkok and they transact more than 34 currencies, serving up to 1 million customers per month. The company is also preparing to expand to other ASEAN countries and Europe in the near future.

SparSha – SparSha Slimming Center is a well-known brand in the beauty industry of Thailand. Operating for more than a decade, the company has earned the love and trust of its customers with its high-quality products and services. Its steady growth allows SparSha to establish over 40 centers situated in various department stores across the country. SparSha stands out for its innovation and technology, harnessing them to develop and introduce new products and services to continually delight its customers.

The 2018 CEO Asia Summit culminated in the presentation of Asia’s most-coveted “Top Influential Brands”, “Outstanding Brands”, “Hall of Fame” and the highly anticipated announcement of the winners in the new category of “Top Employer Brands”.

About Influential Brands
Influential Brands is a think-tank, research and brand recognition platform formed to identify, engage and recognise the best brands throughout Asia. Its family of brands comprises global and regional brands from over 15 countries worldwide. Leveraging on more than 19 years of branding knowledge, know-how and expertise in Asia, it seeks to provide knowledge, raise awareness of desirable brands, and celebrate the unique aspects of Asian-based businesses and Asia’s rich brand heritage. Brand excellence is celebrated following extensive consumer and market research, assessment of branding qualities, influence and impact on consumers. Influential Brands strives towards “Champion of Excellence”.