Category: Latest Travel News

Berlin (Germany) – March 8, 2018 (travelindex.com) – 2017 has been an exceptionally strong year for international travel, with Europe being the main growth driver as both a source market as well as a destination region. Worldwide, the number of outbound trips has increased by 6.5 per cent, reaching nearly 1.2 billion international trips in 2017. Also positively, for the first time since IPK surveys the impact of terrorism on international travel, terror sensitivity has decreased and destinations are perceived as “safer” than before. These findings are based on latest results of IPK’s World Travel Monitor®, an annual survey analyzing the outbound travel behavior in more than 60 countries worldwide, covering over 90 per cent of the global outbound demand. Trends for the first eight months of 2017 can be found in the ITB World Travel Trends Report, which is published yearly by ITB Berlin.

Europe drives global outbound growth while Spain remains top destination
In 2017, Europe was the strongest source region for international travel with an overall increase of 7 per cent compared to last year, followed by North and Latin America with both 6 per cent and Asia with 5 per cent. Also as a destination region, Europe could profit most with 8 per cent more trips in 2017. Looking at destinations on a country level, Spain takes the lead, with the USA and Germany ranking second and third. France and Italy are the fourth and fifth most successful destinations. When it comes to holiday types, city trips have been the main growth driver last year with an increase of 18 per cent. Sun & beach holidays, which represent the largest holiday market share, grew by 9 per cent. On the other hand, tour holidays worldwide decreased by 1 per cent.

One in ten international travelers affected by overtourism
Overtourism has made headlines worldwide recently due to record visitor numbers at many destinations, prompting well-publicized protests by residents and diverse measures by local authorities. As this topic not only impacts destinations, tourist attractions, local infrastructure and residents, but also travelers themselves, IPK International conducted a special survey among international travelers in February 2018. The results show that 24 per cent of all international tourists had the feeling that the destination they visited was overcrowded. However, only 9 per cent said that this overcrowding actually affected the quality of their outbound trip. Most affected cities were Mexico City (23 per cent), Shanghai (22 per cent), Venice (20 per cent), Beijing (19 per cent), Hong Kong (18 per cent), Istanbul, Amsterdam and Florence (17 per cent each) and Barcelona (16 per cent).

Travel behavior still influenced by terror fear yet to a lesser extent
For the fifth time, IPK International conducted a special survey on the influence of terror threats on international travel behavior in main source markets worldwide in February 2018. The study revealed that for 37 per cent of international travelers the recent instability and terror warnings will have an influence on their travel plans for 2018, compared to 41 per cent in October 2017. Regarding the question what kind of influence the current situation could have on the travel behavior, 24 per cent stated that they will still be travelling abroad, however only to destinations they percei¬ve as “safe”. For some destinations, the safety image has improved and they are rated slightly more safe compared to October 2017. This applies e.g. to some of the biggest destinations such as Spain, USA, Germany and Great Britain.

Outlook 2018
Although different travel risks do exist, IPK International anticipates global outbound trips to in¬crease by a robust 5 per cent in 2018. According to IPK International’s Outbound Travel Forecast for 2018, Latin America is expected to be one of the high performers with an increase of 7 per cent, closely followed by Asia (+6 per cent). International travel from Europe as well as North America is forecasted to grow by 4 per cent each.

About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention
ITB Berlin 2018 will be taking place from Wednesday, 7 to Sunday, 11 March, and from Wednesday to Friday will be open to trade visitors only. ITB Berlin is the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show. In 2017 a total of 10,000 companies and organizations from 184 countries exhibited their products and services to around 169,000 visitors, who included 109,000 trade visitors. Parallel with the show the ITB Berlin Convention, the largest event of its kind, will be held from Wednesday, 7 to Saturday, 10 March. Admission to the ITB Berlin Convention is free for trade visitors and exhibitors.

Berlin (Germany) – March 8, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The 8th UNWTO Silk Road Ministers’ Meeting held during the ITB Berlin Travel Trade Show, focused on the long-term tourism vision for the historic Silk Road routes and how to establish the Silk Road as the most important transnational tourism route of the 21st century.

With the theme “2025 Silk Road Tourism Agenda”; the Ministers and Heads of the National Tourism Administrations shared their main ideas and strategies, which bring together 34 countries, Malaysia having become the latest member to join this initiative spearheaded by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

“Our joint work on placing the Silk Road as an internationally renowned and seamless cultural tourism route is proving to be very positive. In countries all along the Silk Road, there is growing awareness of tourism’s contribution to cultural preservation, regional cohesion, and intercultural understanding”, said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pollikashvili, during the meeting. “Cross-country tourism projects are growing, and the interest of trade and consumers in the Silk Road continues to rise”, he added.

Primarily associated with inland routes, the historic Silk Road also comprised an extensive network of maritime itineraries linking various cultures. Against this backdrop, UNWTO has assessed the tourism potential of Maritime Silk Road thematic routes across Asia and took the occasion of this year’s meeting to present the research study “Tourism Impact of the 21st century Maritime Silk Road”, jointly developed with Sunny International.

UNWTO’s work around the Silk Road aims to maximize the benefits of tourism development for local Silk Road communities, while stimulating investment and promoting the conservation of the route’s natural and cultural heritage.

While Silk Road destinations stand to benefit from the persistent strong growth of international tourism, putting sustainability and trans-border cooperation first will be key to fully develop its benefits. The conclusions of the Silk Road Ministers Meeting will be further specified during the 8th UNWTO Silk Road Task Force Meeting in Turkey in April, and during the 8th UNWTO International Meeting on Silk Road Tourism in Greece in October 2018.

Solin (Croatia) – March 7, 2018 (travelindex.com) – INTERSTAS, International Festival of Tourism, Film and Landscape, 25th Edition together with the 21st ITF CRO, International Tourfilm Festival and the 16th KEA-CRO, Competition for Croatian Cities/Towns/Centers with the International Golden Flower Award will take place from November 7th to 10th at the Hotel President in Solin, Croatia. Travelindex is the World Media Patner for these important festivals for the world of tourism.

All three events are members and partners of the world’s associations, travels, tourism films, tourism journalism, landscapes, ecology and sustainable development; FIJET, FEST, ITCO, CiB. With the support of the renowned world associations and the main host Hotel President, Solin, all three events will be held under the auspices of the Splitsko-dalmatinska County, the city of Solin, and with the high patronage of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Mrs. Kolinda Grabar Kitarović.

This traditional, internationally affirmed multimedia project with a world-renowned reputation is a unique manifestation of this kind in Croatia. It is locally, regionally, nationally and internationally significant. The main motive is the encouragement of presenting local, regional, national destinations and regions, with motivation for traveling, visiting and getting to know different areas around the world. The event entirely contributes to the targeted goals: development of tourism, cultural and historical heritage, quality and quantity of tourism offer, development of congressional, cultural, health, sports and other selective forms of tourism, development of content that enable quality improvement, increase of total tourism turnover throughout the years. This entire, internationally affirmed event contributes significantly to the creation of an image and a recognizable tourist attraction within the cities of Split, Solin, Splitsko-dalmatinska County and Croatia entirely.

It is held in a very convenient time, the beginning of active preparation for the next tourist business year. In the realization of these events, connecting the world’s tourism, film-festival, cultural, landscape associations, combining culture, tourism, tourism, ecology it is an active contribution to the development of environmental awareness, sustainable development, ecology and quality of life. Every year, an number of accredited participants is increasing, among whom, are prominent individuals and organizations – Laureates, authors and producers of tourist films and also Croatian and foreign tourism journalists. The overall project, designed to actively contribute to the promotion of international integration processes of contemporary tourism, has become a respectable factor in this domain of international action, attracting an increasing number of production companies from all over the world which apply their authors with travel, documentary and culture films.

Through 3 business days (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday), along with the Tourist Forum, a “round table discussion”, films, educational ecological workshops, special promotions, professional excursions and exploring historical, cultural and other sights in the surroundings will be a chance for meetings and the realization of numerous contacts, business conversations, exchange of international experiences and knowledge with people who make important decisions from the domain of international tourism, environmental protection, sustainable development and production of tourist films…

The accent is on the presentation of the Laureates – the winners of international tourism, film festivals, landscape awards. The Laureates – the winners of these prestigious international awards in all categories – are distinguished individuals and organizations from Croatia and the world. Awards are given to them; “For their excellence in and for tourism, contributing to the development of tourism through culture, tourism film, ecology, sport, and contributing to improving the quality of life, sustainable development and environmental protection.”
This is confirmed by last year’s respectable figures. For: GOLDEN INTERSTAS and CHART FEST 2017. From the 28 countries of the world, out of 136 proposals, there were 75 candidates and 37 nominated. By the decision of the Directory of Festival and the Central Committee of F.E.S.T., 27 Laureates were selected., and that were: 2 Certificates. 14 individual and 11 collective awards. At 20th ITF’CRO 2017: from 80 countries from all around the world, from all five continents arrived 301 film applications. From the 56 countries 104 films were nominated, 91 foreign and 13 Croatian and 23 films / authors (14 foreign, 9 Croatian) were awarded with some of the international festival awards, national “Baldo Čupić” and Grand Prix of the 20th ITF’CRO ‘2017.

It is considered by the world and European landscape, film festivals, tourist journalists associations that support us; FEST, FIJET, ITCO, CiB that with this event, encouraging the international integration in modern tourism, through connection of the subjects that are involved, it is mutually contributed to development of the tourism, preserving of the environment, better quality of life, and the overall international tourism exchange, thus fulfilling the high-demands of the tourism in all of its segments. This project significantly contributes to the recognizability of the tourist product of all local, regional and national participants, and thus a better understanding between nations and countries, which is also the fundamental objective of this event.

With a welcome on the upcoming events: 25th jubilee INTERSTAS, 21st ITF’CRO and 16th KEA-CRO, Solin, Croatia, from7th – 10th of November 2018, in advance of our sincere congratulations to all Laureates 2018, and also on their entry into the International Club for Merited in Tourism Development.

Contact information:
FISCALIS d.o.o. Split
Vukovarska 6
Tel: +385 21 344 048, 344 255
Tel/fax: +385 21 344 255
E-mail: fiscalis@st.htnet.hr
Web:

Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles) – March 6, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The news last week that Derek Hanekom had been reappointed Minister of Tourism of South Africa has been well received by the world of tourism at large. We in Seychelles have worked closely with Mr. Hanekom in the past, fostering and nurturing a collaboration between the respective tourism industries of South Africa and Seychelles. In the apartheid era, Mr. Hanekom was imprisoned for three long years, along with his wife, Trish, because they were working with the ANC. I have always been inspired by Derek Hanekom and wish him continued success at the head of South African Tourism.

Best Beaches List – Seychelles did not make the cut
The coveted Best Beaches list for 2018, a Travellers Choice Award, has been published and Seychelles failed to make the cut. Let us hope that Seychelles does not succumb to the truism: “out of sight…out of mind”. All too often a country’s natural assets, such as beaches or pristine environment, are taken for granted. We become complacent and assume that our island Nation’s beauty alone is enough to keep our tourism destination relevant.

In the 1980s, Seychelles branded itself as one of the world’s “Best Kept Secrets.” The concern soon surfaced that perhaps our secret was too well kept, prompting the arrival of John Enright of the Irish Tourism Board, who was called upon to relaunch our ailing tourism industry. Mr. Enright brought in an effective group of consultants and launched the successful “Seychelles, Unique By A Thousand Miles” tag line. I joined John Enright as his Executive Assistant and worked by his side for many years.

Jamaica is today a tropical island destination that is making positive noise and being seen as the example to follow. Minister Edmund Bartlet is seen everywhere, and his many actions are being well communicated to the world of tourism. His visibility keeps Jamaica relevant and emphasizes the importance of the key Unique Selling Points (USPs) of the island as a tourism destination. The Seven Mile Beach of Jamaica today sits in the World’s 2018 Best Beaches list. Visibility keeps destinations relevant, and it is visibility that helps them to remain the sought after holiday destination.

Seychelles has some of the best beaches of the world, and this is well known by each and every Seychellois. This can remain our little secret, or we change gears and move to let the world know that this is a key USP of Seychelles. International recognised brands spend a fortune in advertising just to remain ahead of the pack. The minute they tamper with the advertising budget, they feel the repercussion in product sales.

Importantly, Seychellois must do their part to keep our beaches clean and litter-free. Weekend picnics are the norm, but the evidence of a fun day out is oftentimes left in the sand and in the surrounding shrubbery for all to see. Tourists are often taken aback at the amount of rubbish left on the beaches by careless beach-goers.

The Assumption Island may soon have a military base
Le Monde du Silence (The Silent World) is one of the two first underwater films shot by Jean Yves Cousteau, and this one was filmed on our very own Assumption Island, Seychelles. The underwater world of this island became the dream location for this Cousteau film. He was to have filmed at Aldabra, but the underwater turbulence compelled him and his team to anchor the “Calypso” just next door at Assumption.

While reputed filmmakers appreciate and distinctly remember the beauty of this island, some of our own Nationals may need some reminding. The Government of Seychelles have entered into an agreement with India to erect a Military Base on Assumption Island. Peaceful protests to this agreement are still rampant in the town of Victoria, with many Seychellois gathering weekly to sign and circulate petitions to dissuade the Government from going ahead with this agreement, especially given that the UNESCO world heritage site, namely Aldabra, is a mere stone’s throw away from Assumption Island. It would appear that approximately 8 out of every 10 Seychellois oppose the proposed military base on Assumption Island, and the 120,000 thousand plus signatures already recorded on the petition opposing that base speak for themselves.

The continued battle to preserve Assumption Island has been construed by a cynical few as political manoeuvring. They are lacking the ‘grandeur d’esprit’ to accept that Seychelles still has a very large number of committed and patriotic Seychellois determined to do all what is necessary to protect their islands. It needs to be pointed out for all to appreciate that NO ONE is pointing a finger at India – the effect would be the same regardless of which super power contracted to erect a military base on one of our islands, especially one so close to Aldabra.

The Government of Seychelles actively promotes our Blue Economy in the media, but little is being said about the impact that the erection of a military base on Assumption Island and the increased vessel traffic in the area would have on the coral reefs surrounding the island. Seychellois divers are doing all they can to educate the Authorities, the National Assembly Members and the population as a whole, that Assumption Island is worth protecting; we cannot afford to damage any more reefs in our territorial waters (Mahe is a prime example of where extensive construction and reclamation projects have been relentlessly carried out, all but destroying snorkelling opportunities around the island).

Aldabra, the unique UNESCO World Heritage Site, is but 20 odd nautical miles from Assumption Island, and increased Military traffic cannot be seen as a plus to this protected Atoll. The risks of oil spillage so close to Aldabra are sure to increase.

A referendum on the matter is being called for to give the People of Seychelles a say before our small Nation throws away its Non Aligned principle which resulted in Seychelles being the “friends of all and enemies of none” since 29th June 1976.

Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles) – March 6, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The proposed military base on the island of Assumption by India continues to generate anger in the islands. This morning protesters were outside the parliament where President Danny Faure is set to deliver his State of the Nation Address this afternoon.

The proposed military by India is but some 20 miles from Aldabra, the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Seychelles enjoyed a leading role in environment protection and maintained a non-aligned strategy eversince its Independence from Great Britaun in 1976. Today the pressure from India in their catchup drive with China sees Seychelles finally taking sides at the detriment of their sovereignty and independence. A military base by a super power will bting super power conflicts to their door step.

The protests in Seychelles has been ongoing and will climax this afternoon when President Faure will head to the island’s parliament to deliver his address. The world will be watching with anticipation on his decision on this Indian Military Base.

Bangkok (Thailand) – March 6, 2018 (travelindex.com) – This unprecedented gathering of 15 top female chefs from Bangkok and beyond will be an epic culinary adventure from 10am to 5pm; a full-day of chef talks, presentations, panel discussions and plenty of food tasting (15 courses)! Each of these amazing chefs will each present on dish for tasting, and will tell the stories behind the dishes. The forum will be followed by a cocktail party at the Zuk Bar where guests can mix and mingle with the chefs over drinks and, yes, more food.

The leading female chefs confirmed to speak and cook for guests include Ana Ros from Hisa Franko in Slovenia (currently holding title as World’s Best Female Chef), Cristina Bowerman (1* Michelin from Rome), Martina Caruso (1* Michelin from Sicily), Bo from 1* Michelin Bo.lan, Magarita Fores (Asia’s Best Female Chef 2016) and many more. Each chef will cook and present dishes and tell stories around their dishes. Other top level speakers include Cindy Bishop and journalist Maria Canabal from Parabere Forum.

Contact information:
The Sukhothai Hotel
Chutima Limpasurat
Marketing Communications Manager
13/3 South Sathorn Rd.
Bangkok 10120
Thailand
Tel. 66 (0) 2 344 8671
Email: Chutima.l@sukhothai.com
Web: www.sukhothai.com

Bangkok (Thailand) – March 2, 2018 (travelindex.com)  – Miss International Queen 2018 enjoys its first round of contest with the presentation of “Best Talent” award. And the winner with the performance that stopped the crowd and wowed the audience is from Vietnam She has performed singing and dancing and the entire audience broke out in thunder of applause after her performance of which she shared “I gave out my heart.”

The Miss International Queen 2018 Talent Quest & National Costumes Presentation Presented by Krungthai-AXA Life is hosted at Aksra Theatre King Power. All proceeds, from today’s event, go to the Excellent Centre for Organs Transplantation (ECOT), King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Thai Red Cross Society.

Dazzling the audience are the pre-screened contestants from 10 countries. The ladies came on stage in their National Costumes, miraculously conveyed the meaning of cultures of their home country. The entire Hall roared, like never before.

Miss International Queen has become the world’s platform for Equality. It is not merely beauty to the eyes but it is also importantly about true identity – sharing voices for acceptance and a foundation for values. Equality is not just for transgender but it is deemed for the World – World Equality, where people should be treated equally despite the differences. The 27 contestants from 27 countries, this year, share the common goal of bringing the World Equality to attention.

From today onwards, the ladies are to fulfill other interesting activities: tour of the city of Bangkok, visit the temple of Emerald Buddha, experience the ride of Tuk-Tuk (famous Thailand’s rickshaw), river cruise on the Chaophaya River and many things to do for friendship and Thailand tourism. You are invited to follow the ladies and find out who will be the next crowned Miss International Queen 2018.
The final round will take place on the 9th March at the Tiffany’s Show Theatre, Pattaya city.

The fans can also enjoy the pageant “Miss International Queen 2018” via GMM25, LIVE Streaming through www.gmm25.com, Application GMM25 and Live Facebook at GMM25 Facebook Fanpage or www.facebook.com/MissInternationalQueen and www.MissInternationalQueen.com starting 22.00PM.

Contact:
PITON Communications
Cholawon – Tay : 0897809948, taywongin@gmail.com
Buranii – Ton : 0994196324, buranii@piton.biz

Tiffany’s Show Pataya
Tel. 038 421 700-5
Duanghatai (Poyjai) 0818549878
pr@tiffany-show.co.th

Cebu (Philippines) – March 5, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Fast-growing Cebu is well on track to becoming one of South East Asia’s top information and communications technology destinations. To meet the rising demand for internationally recognised accommodation in its capital, InterContinental Hotels Group,one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has announced the signing of a new Holiday Inn with The Erawan Group Public Company Limited, the first in the Philippines’ oldest city.

Set to open at the end of 2020, the new-build, 180-room Holiday Inn Cebu City will be situated at Samar Loop in the heart of the Cebu Business Park, making it a convenient accommodation choice for international and regional business travellers. Alongside multinational companies ranging from business process outsourcing to industries, the business park houses local and foreign financial institutions, as well as its lifestyle and leisure centrepiece— the 9-hectare Ayala Center Cebu shopping mall, which draws 60,000 visitors daily.

Commenting on this landmark signing, Rajit Sukumaran, Chief Development Officer EMEAA East, IHG said: “Cebu has enjoyed steady economic growth in recent years, thanks in part to its strong port facilities and excellent geographic location which have made it especially popularamongst multinational businesses. With the upcoming completion of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport — the second busiest airport in the Philippines — later this year, we are expecting a further increase in visitors, including those travelling on business.”

“As part of our strategic expansion across this region, we believe that Holiday Inn Cebu City will be well-poised to meet the rising demand for reliable, internationally branded accommodation in this market. Holiday Inn is our most recognised brand and the largest midscale brand internationally; we are excited to introduce this offering to Cebu City, to cater to the needs of our guests with a consistent and welcoming experience.”

The developer, The Erawan Group Public Company limited, is well-established with 52 other hotels operating across Thailand and South-East Asia, including Holiday Inn Pattaya, a flagship Holiday Inn hotel in South East Asia.

Petch Krainukul, President, The Erawan Group Public Company Limited added: “With its strong track record in world-class hospitality offerings, we are delighted to work once again with our trusted partner IHG to bring the first Holiday Inn hotel to Cebu City. We are confident that the hotel’s much-loved brand offerings, coupled with its excellent location, will be a hit amongst travellers seeking comfortable and reliable accommodation when we open our doors in 2020. We strongly believe that this hotel will be one of the key driver for the future growth for Erawan.”

Holiday Inn Cebu City will feature meeting facilities, a fitness centre and swimming pool, an allday dining restaurant and bar, as well as the signature ‘Kids Stay & Eat Free’ programme, which offers complimentary stays and meals for children under the age of 12*. Located in the same tower as Erawan Philippines’ owned Hop Inn hotel, Holiday Inn Cebu City will be situated on the upper floors with its own separate entrance, lift and lobby.

Globally, there are currently 1,216 Holiday Inn hotels (more than 225,000 rooms) open, with 277 in the development pipeline for the next three to five years.

IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo®, EVEN® Hotels, HUALUXE® Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Express®, Holiday Inn Club Vacations®, Holiday Inn Resort®, avid™ hotels, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns more than 5,300 hotels and nearly 800,000 guest rooms in almost 100 countries, with nearly 1,700 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG® Rewards Club, our global loyalty programme, which has more than 100 million enrolled members.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 375,000 people work across IHG’s hotels and corporate offices globally.

Phuket (Thailand) – March 5, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Angsana Laguna Phuket has given Michal Zitek, Area General Manager, the task to lead the strategic growth and oversee all of the Angsana brand operations in Phuket including Angsana Laguna Phuket, Angsana Villas Resort Phuket, and Angsana Vacation Club.

An Australian national – Michal is no stranger to Angsana, having helmed the Banyan Tree and Angsana integrated resorts at Laguna Lăng Cô, Central Vietnam as Area General Manager since 2015. His latest role continues a career spanning more than 25 years in the hospitality Industry. Prior to joining our Angsana Hotels, Michal was the General Manager for The Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel and previously the Pan Pacific Hotel in Bangkok.

“My professional and travelling time throughout south-east Asia has allowed me the opportunity to appreciate and explore the nuances and charms of so many vibrant cultures and lifestyles; I am now excited to return to Thailand for this opportunity to work with the respective teams of Angsana Laguna Phuket, Angsana Villas Resort Phuket and Angsana Vacation Club towards the next exciting chapter of growth and the development of new Angsana products”

About Angsana
Angsana brings the adventure back into travel whatever your age or reason to visit. Intertwining local chic and a vibrant fun-filled atmosphere, Angsana offers amazing destination playgrounds across the world. Each hotel is uniquely designed to provide spacious stylish rooms and suites, perfect for couples, families and groups of friends.

Contact:
Kantima Kullawit
Assistant Manager, Marketing Communications and Public Relations
Kantima.Kullawit@angsana.com

Bangkok (Thailand) – March 5, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Outbound travel from Thailand is set to hit 10 million this year, according to the first comprehensive market research report on what is expected to be the “The Next Big Thing” in Asia-Pacific tourism.

Designed to help destinations worldwide better understand the dynamics and drivers of this promising source of business, the report says that outbound travel from Thailand, including both Thai citizens and the thousands of middle-upper income expatriates, hit 8.2 million trips in 2016, almost double the 2011 figure.

It is projected to have crossed 9 million in 2017 and is heading for 10 million in 2018, assuming that the global, regional and local geopolitical/economic situation remains stable.

Compiled and researched by Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor of Travel Impact Newswire, and one of the longest serving travel industry journalists in the Asia-Pacific, the study is available for sale through a variety of dynamic pricing options. Interested parties can email imtiaz@travel-impact-newswire.com.

Ease of accessibility will become a major determinant of future destination choice. Japan, which eliminated visas for Thais in 2013, has become the fastest growing destination for Thai travellers. Korea and Taiwan have followed the Japanese lead, and Russia is next.

All are stepping up marketing and promotional campaigns to narrow the significant gaps between the number of their tourists visiting Thailand and the number of Thais visiting their countries.

Although most Thais know that they can get visa-free access to their neighbours in the ASEAN countries as well as the Northeast Asian countries and destinations, they still do not realise that they can get relatively easy access to several countries in both Latin America and Africa, the report says.

The report urges these countries on both distant continents to put more focus on their marketing profiles. It is rife with trends, ideas, contacts and opportunities on how to do so.

The report also blasts the visa application processes for Europe, the UK, North America, Australia and New Zealand as being “insulting, offensive and expensive.”

Says the report, “Nearly 90% of the documentation required is identical, with complicated variations in the rules and regulations. Technologically, it should be possible for some kind of a single-visa system to be worked out. Aside from being a money-spinning profit centre, it is not clear what security or immigration threats these visa-requiring countries are hoping to alleviate. Some of the questions asked in the application forms are totally irrelevant. The requirement for proof of financial support is also questionable in an era when thousands of well-off Thais are well-armed with credit cards and far better off financially than citizens of the visa-requiring countries.”

It also urges the South Asian countries to clean up their visa policies. “South Asia as a whole gets dragged down because only The Maldives gives visa-free access to Thais. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka all require visas. Although India and Sri Lanka have on-line visas, cumulatively, the cost and time factors involved in getting visas reduces the appeal of these countries vis a vis competing countries.”

The report also notes the big gap between the number of airlines flying to Thailand (118 as of the winter 2017/2018 airline schedule) and the number of foreign NTOs having full-time or marketing representative offices in Thailand (only 12). A handful of other countries have separate arrangements such as through appointed GSAs.

It also notes the enormous promise of road travel as the completion of the Asian Highway allows Thailand to take full advantage of its unique geographical location at the heart of the ASEAN region, with strong overland connectivity to Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia.