'Business as usual': Singapore tourism persists amid coronavirus outbreak

Singapore is among the countries that have been affected by the outbreak of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, as the country's Health Ministry announced on Monday that there were 77 confirmed cases of the virus and 24 people had been discharged from the hospital.

The outbreak has also affected the country’s tourism. The Singapore Tourism Board reported that 19.1 million tourists visited the country in 2019, a 3.3 percent increase from 2018. However, the number is forecast to drop about 25 to 30 percent this year.

“Every day, Singapore loses 20,000 tourists from all entrances [following the virus outbreak],” said John Gregory Conceicao, Southeast Asia executive director of the Singapore Tourism Board, during the Year-in-Review 2019 and Media & Trade Gathering event on Tuesday in South Jakarta.

China, where the outbreak first emerged, contributed to 20 percent of the country's international tourist arrivals. Indonesia ranked second after China with 3.11 million tourists traveling to Singapore last year.

Mohamed Firhan Abdul Salam, Indonesia area director of the Singapore Tourism Board, said at the same event that Singapore currently applied travel restrictions for tourists from China, including on direct flights to and from China. “It’s among the measures to contain the situation in Singapore,” Firhan said.

Despite the outbreak, Firhan said Singapore still continued with “business as usual”. He explained that thermal scanning had been performed in all entrances to Singapore and surgical masks were provided for the public, especially for those who are sick.

The country also has implemented contact tracing, meaning that those who have interacted with a coronavirus-infected person will be traced for further check-ups.

“We suggest travelers practice personal hygiene: wash your hands, wear masks if you’re sick and go to the doctor if you feel any symptom of fever and coughing,” Firhan said, adding that all tourist destinations in Singapore were still open to the public.

In fact, the country has new tourist attractions, including a new tower at the Marina Bay Sands, a rejuvenated Orchard Road and Jurong Lake District and the newly opened Magical Shores at Siloso in Sentosa Island that offers interactive beach light art.

In regard to the country's recovery, Conceicao said it would take longer than the recovery period from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, which took around five months.

“Maybe it will take five to six months. We’ll see whether we can recover by then,” he said, adding that the board planned to team up with travel agents, airlines and online travel agents to promote Singapore when the recovery period ends.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Not just Chinese travelers staying away as virus shakes Asian tourism

As a driver of one of Thailand's renowned "tuk tuk" motorized rickshaws, Amonchai Laodoungdee is used to busy days ferrying tourists around Bangkok, but on Tuesday he waited for four hours at a shopping mall without a single customer.

Since word of the new coronavirus spread from China last month, he's seen his daily income drop from about 1300 baht ($41) per day to around 400 baht. At first, he noticed not as many Chinese tourists were around. Now, there are few tourists from any country.

"Not too many foreigners come to visit Thailand now," Amonchai said. "Now is very difficult."

Such laments are becoming more common across Asia's tourism industry, from street food hawkers to luxury tour operators, as more countries advise citizens to be cautious as the coronavirus toll surpassed 1,000 deaths, most of them inside China.

Many Asian tourism professionals say the drop in tourism has spread from Chinese tourists to visitors from other Asian and Western countries now also staying away, raising fears that much of the 2020 travel season may be severely diminished.

"It's not just China. Travelers from other countries are also postponing or canceling visits not just to Singapore, but we are seeing evidence across Asia,” Keith Tan, chief executive of the Singapore Tourism Board, told reporters.

Some tourism officials says the market is resilient and may well bounce back once the virus is contained.

Still, as the number of total confirmed cases surpassed 40,000 this week, many worried that the slump would continue for months.

"We forecast an overall decline of up to 50 percent in the number of bookings for the first half of the year, compared with same period last year," Alicia Seah, director of communications at travel agency Dynasty Travel, based in Singapore.

Sharp decline

Tourism-heavy economies like Thailand, which derives around 12 percent of its GDP from foreign visitors, are especially affected by travel restrictions and warnings.

"Today the impact has not been just on Chinese tourists but on all tourists," Chairat Triratanajaraspon, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, told Reuters.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has predicted a revenue loss of 95 billion baht ($3.05 billion) from fewer Chinese tourists from January to April, but that number could rise higher as travelers from other countries are now staying away.

The decline has been swift and sharp. From Feb. 1 to Feb. 10, arrivals booked by the Association of Thai Travel Agents dropped by were down 71 percent from last year overall and 99 percent from China, according to the associations.

Chairat said 50-60 percent  of the usual 3 million expected tourists for February are expected to now stay away, adding "This situation is likely to continue into March."

In Indonesia, the tourist island of Bali alone has seen 20,000 cancellations, said Hariyadi Sukamdani, head of Indonesia’s hotels and restaurants association.

He did not know how many were from Chinese tourists or from other countries, but he said there is concern of a sustained slump because from now until April is usually when bookings for summer holidays usually are made.

"In the toilet"

In Vietnam, cancellations are coming in for well into the year.

The official state-run Vietnam News Agency (VNA) said last week that many inbound tours to Vietnam scheduled for March and April had been canceled.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism estimated the damage to Vietnam’s tourism sector from the virus will range from $5.9 billion to $7.7 billion, VN Express reported on Friday.

A tourism source in Hanoi, who did not wish to be identified given the sensitivity of the situation, said hotels were suffering from a 20 percent drop in budget in terms of occupancy.

"It's really pretty bad. We are re-forecasting now. But February and March are of course in the toilet.”

Thai tour operator Virat Chatturaputpitak, managing director of Marwin Tours (Asia) Co. Ltd., said he has seen a reduction of tourists from Canada, the United States, and also the United Kingdom.

"For me, the Easter outlook in April is also not good," Virat said.

"We simply don't know how long it will take to contain this virus and every day the news of more infection mean more people are reluctant to travel," he added.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Cambodia - Hun Sen welcomes stranded cruise ship passengers

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 Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen this Friday (February 14) travelled to Preah Sihanouk Port to welcome MS Westerdam cruise ship’s passengers who disembarked.

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 The cheerful atmosphere was broadcast via BTV Cambodia television station and the official Facebook page of the Cambodian leader.

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The 1,455 passengers include tourists from 41 countries, including 651 Americans, 271 Canadians, 127 English and 91 Dutch.

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A spokesman for the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation of Cambodia said that charter flights were ready to take passengers from Sihanouk International Airport to Phnom Penh International Airport. Five to six flights were expected since each flight would be able to pick up around 180 passengers.
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The decision allowing Westerdam with more than 2,000 passengers and crew to dock at Sihanoukville, after being rejected by five countries, earned Cambodia appreciation from the World Health Organisation, the ambassador of the United States to Thailand and the European Union.

Source - TheNation

Thailand - The joy of the Tat Wiman Thip waterfall in Bueng Kan

 The Tat Wiman Thip waterfall situated in Phu Langka National Park is one of the major tourist attractions in Bueng Kan province, which is under the management of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

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The rich white waterfall cascading down a large cliff is also made memorable by the resonance of the water pouring onto the rocks below.

Apart from its pristine beauty, the experience is made wonderful by the coolness of the water. People can splash about in the pool and have a good time in the lap of nature.

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Generally, the weather in the national park is similar to other areas in the northeastern region of Thailand. The temperature on the park’s hilltops is around 0 to 5 degrees Celsius in winter, with an average of 25 to 36 degrees Celsius throughout the year.

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Those interested in visiting the Phu Langka National Park and its attractions can take Highway No 212. The place is about 220 kilometres from Nong Khai province and six kilometres from Ban Phaeng district of Nakhon Pathom province.

Source TheNation

Myanmar (Burma) sees world’s fastest tourism growth

Myanmar ranked highest among the world’s 20 fastest-growing travel destinations last year, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Myanmar Tourism Marketing, part of the Myanmar Tourism Federation, said the country enjoyed a year-on-year increase of 40.2 per cent in tourist numbers, followed by Puerto Rico at 31.2 per cent and Iran at 27.9 per cent.

“We need to keep this momentum going for many more years,” said May Myat Mon Win, Myanmar Tourism Marketing chairperson.

The government has introduced new regulations to facilitate easier access for tourists as a next step to opening up to the world.

Myanmar grants residents of Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau and some Southeast Asian countries visa-free entry.

People from India, the Chinese mainland, Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Russia, Spain and Switzerland are granted visas on arrival.

Citizens of more than 100 countries are eligible for e-visas via evisa.moip.gov.mm and can expect approval within three days.

Myanmar Tourism Marketing will have its annual “Green Season” campaign for May through September with the support of hotels, airlines and tour operators.

Fastest-growing travel destinations:

1. Myanmar 40.2 per cent

2. Puerto Rico 31.2

3. Iran 27.9

4. Uzbekistan 27.3

5. Montenegro 21.4

6. Egypt 21.1

7. Vietnam 16.2

8. The Philippines 15.1

9. Maldives 14.9

10. Bahamas 14.6

11. Qatar 14.5

12. Armenia 14.4

12. South Korea 14.4

13. Turkey 14

14. Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.7

15. Tunisia 13.6

16. Laos 11.5

17. Azerbaijan 11.4

18. Israel 10.5

19. Lithuania 10.1

20. Kazakhstan 10

Source - TheNation

#Cambodia - Battambang province shows off attractive tourism destinations

Tourists watch bats fly out of a cave in Phnom Sampov mountain, Battambang province.

 Well-known as an agricultural land, Battambang province has lured tourists both from Cambodia and overseas with its unique attractive spots – from ancient temples and other buildings to ecotourism.

Located some 300 kilometres north of Phnom Penh, the province is hosting this year’s annual river festival next month at which tourism products and services as well as locally made-products will be promoted widely.

More and more foreign tourists, particularly those from Western countries, have visited the province, viewinging the old buildings from the French colonial era, local people said.

As mentioned, ancient temples including Ek Phnom and Banan, as well as Phnom Sampov mountain, famed for its bat cave, are the most attractive spots for tourists, they said.

Soeun Ratha, owner of Holiday Guesthouse, located in Battambang town, said: “The number of foreign tourists visiting Battambang province has increased in recent years. Foreign tourists, mostly French, Spanish and Russian… like sightseeing the old buildings from French colonial era and their numbers keep increasing.”

Leaflets from the provincial tourism department of Battambang province show that among the tourism spots in the province is Prek Toal bird sanctuary on Tonle Sap lake.

Phoeung Than, a tourism police officer at Ek Phnom temple, said the number of foreign tourists is still not too many, but there are daily visitors from Cambodia and beyond, not in tour groups but as individuals.

He also said foreign tourists mostly stay in the province for a short while for an individual tour to explore the architecture styles of French-colony buildings and also to experience local people’s way of life, including agricultural practices.

Source - Khmer Times

#Shanghai Disney shuts to prevent spread of virus

Walt Disney Co's Shanghai Disney Resort will be closed until further notice to help China stop the spread of a flu-like virus, costing the theme park operator revenue during the country's biggest holiday season.

China is on a seven-day Lunar New Year holiday, a period when the Shanghai Disney park would be usually packed with tourists. Last year Shanghai Disney had to stop selling tickets to visitors as the park got overcrowded.

"In response to the prevention and control of the disease outbreak and in order to ensure the health and safety of our guests and Cast, Shanghai Disney Resort is temporarily closing Shanghai Disneyland, Disneytown ... starting Jan. 25," the company said on its website.

"We will continue to carefully monitor the situation and ... announce the reopening date upon confirmation."

Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, and neighbouring Huanggang, a city of about 7 million people, were in virtual lockdown, with restrictions in place elsewhere. A new coronavirus which broke out in Wuhan, central China, late last year has killed 25 people and infected more than 800.

Many businesses including retailers, airlines, travel agencies and hotel operators are on high alert, as health authorities fear the infection rate could accelerate over the Lunar New Year, when hundreds of millions of Chinese travel at home and abroad.

The outbreak has already prompted seven Chinese films that were set to premiere during the holiday to postpone screenings, forgoing what is usually the best week of the year at the Chinese box office.

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Disney said it would refund tickets for admission to Shanghai Disneyland, on China's east coast, more than 800 km from Wuhan, or other services at the park as well as hotel bookings.

The estimated financial impact on the U.S. company's first theme park in mainland China, which opened in mid-2016 in its largest overseas investment at $5.5 billion, was not immediately clear.

The company was not immediately available to comment.

Shanghai Disney carried out a resort-wide makeover this month for a four-week event through Feb. 9 to celebrate the Year of the Rat with its characters including Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse and target China's middle class and booming domestic tourism.

Walt Disney Co owns a 43 percent stake in Shanghai Disney Resort which has Shanghai Disneyland theme park and two hotels with a total of 1,220 rooms.

The impact on businesses is set to increase as China discourages locals from gathering in crowded places. It has already stepped up measures to contain the virus, with public transport suspensions in 10 cities, the shutting of temples and closing the Forbidden City, Beijing's most famous tourist attraction.

Japan's Fast Retailing Co Ltd said on Friday it has temporarily closed 17 Uniqlo stores in Wuhan. China is a key growth market for the company which faces a saturated market and weak consumer spending in Japan. 

Source - TheJakartaPost