Showing posts with label Attractions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Attractions. Show all posts

Tuesday 5 May 2020

Domestic Tourism Campaign “We Love Thailand” to be Launched


Thailand’s Tourism Council is preparing to start its “We Love Thailand” campaign to stimulate domestic tourism after thing normalize. Council president Chairat Trirattanajarasporn said they were in collaboration with the Tourism Ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

“This campaign will promote new local products and attractions, especially those involving tourism communities,” he told the Nation. Chairat also said domestic tourism needs to be promoted for one to two years.  Above all while the market waits for foreign tourists to regain confidence.

In the initial phase, it is expected that people from China, South Korea or Asean would return to Thailand, he said.

“Thailand needs Chinese tourists as we recover,” Chairat added. “When the situation becomes safe again, Chinese will return to Thailand as our country is near. Moreover, the Chinese market has the capacity to expand.”
Mass Unemployment in Thailand’s Tourism Sector

Up to six million people are expected to lose their jobs in the tourism sector due to Covid-19 a report says.

Reports from the UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO), as well as the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said that unemployment will affect millions of people in Thailand’s tourism sector. A critical industry that accounted for 21 percent of the country’s GDP.

“Thailand’s tourism sector has overcome many past shocks. Including natural disasters and political instability,” the UN report said. “However, there may be new emerging sources of risks that may need to be considered.”

It added, “The magnitude of the current socio-economic shocks that come from the health and economic effects tied to the current COVID-19 pandemic are, however, unprecedented in recent history.”

The industry’s woes were rooted in the total collapse of inbound tourism. International tourist arrivals in January and February dropped to 5.9 million. Compared with 7.3 million in the same months last year.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, income in this time dropped from 381 million baht to 293 million baht, or a decrease of more than 23 percent.

From January to March alone, 139,000 people in the tourism sector already lost their jobs, mostly those working in accommodation.

The number of unemployed people could even rise to 10 million if the pandemic does not subside by the end of June, the report by Thai University of Commerce warned.

Source - Chiang Rai Times 
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Monday 27 January 2020

#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

Thursday 29 August 2019

#Vietnam - Major hotspots brace for National Day tourism surge


 As the 3-day National Day holiday nears, accommodations in tourism hotspots show varying occupancy levels, online reservation sites say.

The vacancy rate in the central Vietnam destinations of Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue, and Phan Thiet is hovering around 50 percent on average, according to Agoda, a global online accommodation reservations provider.

On Traveloka, one of the leading flight and hotel booking platforms in Southeast Asia, a number of places in the ancient imperial capital of Hue like Gold Hotel Hue, Hotel La Perle, Cherry Hotel, and Huong Giang Hotel still have rooms for VND600,000 ($26) to VND1.4 million ($60) per night.

In Da Nang, the occupancy rate is abnormally low due to the city's shortage of water. High salinity levels in the Cau Do (Red Bridge) River, the main source of freshwater for a million residents and tourists in Da Nang, mean the city can only meet 70 percent of its water needs.

Some hotels are refusing to accept bookings because they do not have enough water. At Melia Danang Beach Resort, the number of room bookings by Vietnamese between August 30 and September 2, the National Day, is only 10 percent.
Some hotel managers in Da Nang, a top tourist attraction, said tourists booking hotel rooms during the holiday weekend are mainly from South Korea, Japan and mainland China.
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 The average occupancy rate of hotels in Vung Tau, a popular vacation destination in southern Vietnam, is also 50 percent, while it is 85 percent at some high-end hotels and resorts like Pullman, Malibu and Green Hotel.

Tu Le, a teacher working in HCMC's District 1, said she booked two rooms facing the sea at Leman Cap Resort & Spa in the southern beach town, and the rates were not much higher than normal.

Bookings seem tougher at hotels in Da Lat. Most hotels and resorts in the Central Highlands resort town have been fully booked up ahead of the holiday.

Bao Lam, 32, a bank employee in Ho Chi Minh City, said he was unable to get a family room in a luxury hotel in Da Lat.

Nomad Home Dalat and Elegant Dalat Hotel, two of Da Lat's most popular hotels, only have one or two double rooms available and they cost around VND1.2 million ($52) each per night, according to Booking.com, a travel fare aggregator and travel metasearch engine for hotel reservations. 
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Pham Van Bay, Deputy Director of Vietravel Hanoi, said since the National Day holiday this year is not long, most people have opted for domestic tours, with northern mountainous destinations like Moc Chau, Sa Pa, Cao Bang, and Ha Giang being very popular.

Pham Cao Vy, chairman of the Sa Pa Tourism Association, said most hotels have kept their rates unchanged though it could be a bit difficult for travelers to find a place.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and low-cost carrier Jetstar Pacific have said they would add a total of 240,000 seats on domestic routes from August 30 to September 2 to meet the increased travel demand.

SOURCE - VN EXPRESS

Monday 5 February 2018

Indonesia - Travel app makes exploring Cirebon easier

The Sunyaragi Cave is one of the tourist attractions of Cirebon, West Java

Thinking about visiting the city of Cirebon in West Java, only around 3.5 hours from Jakarta by car? The city administration has released an app that helps visitors plan their trip with information on where to go and what to eat.

Named Cirebon Wistakon, the app provides information in 10 categories: Attractions, Food, Hotels, Shopping, Events & News, Favorites, Religion, Healthcare, Finances and Services.

Although tempo.co reported that some of the categories are currently still empty, the Attractions category contains 10 places, namely Taman Sari Gua Sunyaragi, Kacirebonan Palace, Wisata Kera Plangon, Kanoman Cirebon Palace, Kasepohan Palace, British-American Tobacco Cirebon, Dewi Welas Asih Temple, Cirebon Waterland Ade Irma Suryani, Kejawanan Beach, and Setu Sedong. Meanwhile, the Food section recommends eateries for dishes like nasi jamblang (fried sambal for rice wrapped in teak leaves), mi koclok (a noodle dish), empal gentong (a curry-like beef soup) as well as signature snacks of Cirebon. There is also information on traditional and modern markets, such as Pasar Harjamukti, Pasar Batik Trusmi Cirebon, Pasar Pagi Cirebon,  the Manisan Sinta souvenir shop and Pasar Mundu Cirebon.
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 "Cirebon Wistakon is available on the Google Play Store and connected with Google Maps," said Cirebon Statistics, Information and Communications Agency head Iing Daiman in Cirebon on Wednesday, adding that the app aimed to help visitors explore the city's tourist destinations.

The app is part of the city's Smart City initiative. The Cirebon administration has released several apps and is aiming to develop eight more this year.
Source - TheJakartaPost

Monday 24 July 2017

#Thailand - A day of adrenaline at Chiang Mai adventure destinations


A journalist tries out some of Chiang Mai’s high-excitement pursuits, from a micro-light flight to rock climbing and barreling down some of Thailand’s longest forest ziplines

As we took off, wind slapping my face and churning my hair, I thought to myself, “This is just like a regular plane”. But the moment the wheels lifted off terra firma, I felt this deep sense of exhilaration no plain plane could have ever given me. There I was, rising up and up and up, eventually reaching a thousand feet above the shrinking ground below, surrounded by nothing but air. I was on a micro light at Chiang Mai Adventure and I felt as though I was flying straight into the rising sun.

We had been invited on a one day trip to experience some of the local attractions and this was a great start. Chiang Mai Adventure has been around for nearly 20 years, a professional outfit operating out of Doi Saket. As we flew over paddy fields, farmers toiling below, taking a small break to shield their eyes as they watched my dangling feet pass over above, I felt as though I was in a ‘Nam movie, the soundtrack of Platoon playing in my head. The wind was rather vigorous that day, especially as we headed over the skies above Mae Guang Dam, but the views of mountains, paddy fields, glittering temples and charming villages, kept my fear at bay and my senses on alert. The ride only lasted for 15 short minutes, and following a rickety landing, we were soon rushed off to our next attraction.

 Chiang Mai Adventure Land is a popular day out for the family. Since I am still single, I would never have really thought to come here, but after spending a few hours rock climbing, flying fox zip lining and zorb balling like a human-hamster-ball, I decided that no one is too mature for such frolicking! The park itself has all sorts of activities to keep everyone fully busy, giggling and exhausted, from the Indiana Jones style tight rope, the hill tribe swing, hill skiing, riding, fishing to challenging sky bridge, the staff are all on hand to make sure that everything is safe and everyone is having a great time.

FOR THE BEST GLOBAL HOTEL & FLIGHT BOOKINGS 

Just when we were getting into it, we were told that we had to go to our next adventure. I wasn’t sure that anything could top the first two, but was soon proven wrong as I found myself hurtling atop canopies down the longest zip line in Chiang Mai. The roller coaster, where you are strapped on under the coaster and hold on for dear life had my head spinning and my body pumped with adrenalin.

By this point I was utterly exhausted, but was then told that we had one more destination, Dragon Flight. We actually had to trek a full hour to get to the first base of the zipline, but it was worth it when once again, I found myself flying through the skies down their 900 metre zip line.


I don’t remember the drive back to the city, as I was passed out, along with every other journalist in the van, from exhaustion.

These are activities which we Thais don’t normally get to enjoy, as we tend to think that they are for tourists. But once we woke up on arrival in the city, we all agreed, over a bowl of late night noodles, that this was a day to remember.

There are obvious health and safety concerns, especially of late, about many adventure tourism destinations. I hope that you all do your due diligence before you book any activity to make sure that the company in question is reputable. And most of all, have fun and stay safe.

Source - TheNation

Wednesday 12 July 2017

Three Thai water parks have been listed among the Top 10 in Asia in travel website TripAdvisor’s 2017 Travellers’ Choice awards.

Ramayana Water Park in Pattaya took third spot among the 10 and Black Mountain Water Park in Hua Hin sixth spot. Also in Pattaya, Cartoon Network Amazone is making a splash and was named the seventh-most popular water park in Asia.

“I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to these three parks in Thailand for winning positive reviews from travellers from around the world,” says Tourism Authority Governor Yuthasak Supasorn. “These awards certainly help to further strengthen the image of Thailand as a family-friendly destination.”

The award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of user reviews and ratings posted around the world in the past 12 months.
TripAdvisor users praised Ramayana Water Park for its “beautifully clean water” and “excellent rides” and called Black Mountain “safe”, “family-friendly” and “a great day out”. 

Cartoon Network Amazone was hailed as “state-of-the-art” with both “simple and daredevil” slides.


 Ramayana opened in May last year and covers 100 rai (160,000 square metres), making it one of the largest water parks in Southeast Asia. It boasts 21 rides and more than 50 other attractions, including two children’s zones, a “lazy river” and a floating market.

It’s 20 kilometres south of Pattaya, close to Khao Chi Chan, known for its giant Buddha etched into the side of a mountain, and next to Silverlake Vineyard.

Black Mountain, which opened in 2011, covers 40,000 square metres. It’s got a 17-metre-high tower from which nine different water slides radiate, plus a spectacular wave pool, a lazy river, a beach-infinity pool and children’s pool.

It’s about 15 minutes from Hua Hin town centre.

Cartoon Network Amazone is the world’s first Cartoon Network-theme water park. Opened in 2014, it features 10 entertainment zones and more than 150 water attractions. It’s in Bang Saray, about 20 minutes’ drive south of Pattaya.

Source - TheNation

Friday 23 June 2017

#Thailand - Krabi beaches generate most entry fees for national parks

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Nopparat Thara Beach and Phi Phi Islands in Krabi generated the most revenue from entry fees for the national park agency over the past nine months.

Following the renovation of facilities and restoration of natural resources, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has collected Bt1.7 billion in revenue from nationwide national park admission fees from October 2016 until June 2017, DNP spokesman Sompot Maneerat said on Wednesday.

Most of the revenue was collected from the admission fees of Bt428 million at Krabi’s Nopparat Thara Beach and Phi Phi Islands National Park, followed by Bt299 million at Phang Nga's Mu Koh Similan National Park. 

The DNP is aiming to generate more revenue from tourism at the national parks and will allocate the money for the restoration and development of natural attractions, as the budget from the government is not sufficient.


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Saturday 19 December 2015

No surprises: Bangkok, Wat Pho are TripAdvisor travelers’ top choices


Bangkok is one of world’s best cities for travel and Wat Pho its best attraction, according to this year’s TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards.


Voters put the Land of Smiles at the top spot for its exotic beaches, heritage sites and amazing food. The country picked up awards in four categories: destination, landmark, island, and beach.


Bangkok came in at no. 18 on the list of the world’s top destinations while the top Buddhist temple attraction Wat Pho came in at no. 21 in the best landmark category.


Meanwhile, Phuket’s Nai Harn Beach was ranked no. 18 among the Best 25 Beaches in the World, while Koh Tao was hailed as one of the world’s 10 best islands, ranking at no. 5.


Globally, Marrakech in Morocco won the best destination, followed by Thailand’s neighbor Siem Reap in Cambodia, and Istanbul in Turkey.
Cambodia took the top spot for landmark with Angkor Wat, followed by Peru’s Machu Picchu and India’s Taj Mahal.

Source: Coconuts

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