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IT&CMA and CTW 2010 Delivers Quality Buyers, Travel Managers and a Wider Selection of MICE Sellers

10 Australian Culture and Traditions to know when travelling to Australia

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Dear Travel Weekly readers!

Welcome to the 38 Issues of Travel Weekly!

First of all, on behalf of all the members at Travel Weekly Magazine I would like to say thank you very much for supporting and sharing with us your ideas since the early days of our magazine.

Born to bring our readers useful and up-to-date information about Travel Busi-ness in Vietnam and around the world to your desktop every Thursday, today, Travel Weekly becomes a part of your daily works for all travel executive as well as travel lovers those who cares about the tourism industry.

We understand that saving a tree is the responsibility for everyone who inter-ested in the environmental disaster as what the Business Travel operators call “Responsible Travel”, therefore, towards the eco-friendly environment, Travel Weekly call our each issue is Eco-Friendly Magazine because we design and “print” and/or publish our magazine in PDF format which allows us to send you immediately via e-mail as well as distribute our magazine to global read-ers. Moreover, at our website, there is even a better way to read our magazine without download which let you choose the first read and then deciding to keep it on your computer for store or further review.

We do hope that everything we do is just to give you everything in travel news for your works and your care. We are looking forward to receive your supports and share with us in the coming time. Thank you for travelling with us!

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10. Vietnamese service providers win tourism alliance awards

04. Northern Vietnam Highlands named UNESCO “Geopark”

VIETNAM NEWS

07. New bus route through Vietnam, Laos and Thailand

05. Exhibition on “The Many Faces of Vietnam” opens in Paris, France

12. Vietnam - Thailand launch “1 million tourists in 2015”

IT&CMA and CTW 2010 De-livers Quality Buyers, Travel

Managers and a Wider Selection of MICE Sellers

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More than 13,000 IT&CMA business appointments for exhibitors, buyers and corporate travel managers took place on the 6 and 7 October at Asia’s Only Doublebill MICE and Corporate Travel Event. Below is more statis-tics at the IT&CMA and CTW2010.

Building a Green tourism environment

in Vietnam

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Australia, like most countries, has complex and distinc-tive cultures and traditions. With heavy British influ-ences and a small population of indigenous people, the country has developed into a nation of individuality. With their own brands of music and art, the entertainment industry has blossomed. Sports mingle with personal philosophy and new cuisines as Australia takes its place as a cultural center for the South Pacific.

10 Australian Culture and Traditions to

know when travelling to Australia

08 - 09

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14 - 15. National Tourism Year to be cel-ebrated nationwide

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

18. Marriott Resorts & Spas awarded greatest honor of the Awards of Excellence

As tourism develops, the more tourists are attracted, the more urgent environmental problems are raised. Building a “green-clean-beautiful” tourism environment has become the concern of local authorities, tourism companies and also local people and tourism staff.

19. China develops MICE industry

20. Accor and IMPACT Exhibition to Open Novotel Bangkok Impact

21. India promotes new products at the PATA Mart

23. ASEAN arrivals to Indonesia expected to rise

24 - 25. STB to host 8,000 at TravelRave festival

DO YOU KNOW

26. WTM launches UK Exhibitors’ e-Shop

TRAVEL EXPO

28 - 29. PATA Gold Awards 2011 are now open

32. WTM Global Trends Report 2009 cor-rectly predicts the future

30 -31. SPORTS TOURISM Tough Legacy or Golden Jackpot?

33. The Entire ITB Asia On Your Mobile Phone - Free of Charge

Thursday 14.10.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn

VIETNAM NEWS

After receiving approval from the Government, Saigontourist Travel Service Co is co-ordinating with the Hong Kong Royal Yacht Club to organise the fourth international boat race from Hong Kong to Nha Trang between October 20 and 27. Since 2004, the Hong Kong Royal Yacht Club and Saigontourist have organised these biennial events. The 656-nautical mile race in 2008 attracted 13 yachts.

Nghe An province people’s com-mittee has approved the plan for construction on Cua Lo PetroViet-nam Tourism Zone to be sited in Cua Lo Town. PetroVietnam Nghe An Construction Joint Stock Co was the main investor for this project with the total investment capital of 1.236 trillion VND in an area of 27 hectares. The construction work was expected to start in Q1 of 2011.

The Director of New7Wonders Foundation, Jean-Paul de la Fuente said Ha Long Bay defeated 440 competitors in the vote for the seven natural wonders of the world, Ha Long Bay, has been voted in the list of 28 and likely to win in the list of new seven wonders. He highly valued how the Vietnamese people have voted saying Ha Long Bay has great chance of winning the com-petition. Ha Long Bay is still high in the foundation’s final rankings.

Cua Lo PetroVietnam Tourism Zone project gets approval

Ha Long Bay to become new World Wonder

Go-ahead given to int’l yacht race

Laos Airlines will open a new air route connecting its capital city of Vientiane with HCMC via Pakse Airport in Champasak province on 19 October. The new service will operate three flights per week ev-ery Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Vientiane and every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from Ho Chi Minh City, using French 72 seat ATR72 aircraft. The return fare for the HCMC-Vientiane route will be US$501, inclusive of taxes and fees.

Laos Airlines opens route to HCM City

The Japan Foundation for Cultural Exchanges in Vietnam and the Vietnam-Japan Human Resources Corporation Centre (VJCC) will hold a Japanese language festival in Hanoi on October 17. Participants will have a chance to exchange and express their linguistic abilities in the Japanese language. Three competitors will win a trip to Japan in the next two weeks. First launched in 1997, the annual festival aims to encourage people to learn the Japanese language, study its culture, and strengthen friendship, solidarity and mutual understanding be-tween the governments and peoples of Vietnam and Japan. In 2009, out of 300 contestants, Nguyen Huu Bao Trung from Ha-noi’s University of Science and Technology won first prize.

The Dong Van Stone Highlands in the northern province of Ha Giang have been recognized as a member of UNESCO-supported Global Geoparks Network (GNN).

The recognition was announced at biennial meeting held Sunday in Greece’s Lesvos of GGN, which promotes and preserves geoparks around the world.

A geopark, according to GGN, is a nationally protected area containing a number of geological heritage sites of particular importance, rarity or aesthetic appeal.

The latest event has made Dong Van become the first geopark in Vietnam and the second in the Southeast Asia to be named GGN member, Tuoi Tre reported.

Since the organization was established in 1998, it has admit-ted 58 geoparks from 18 countries.

Covering 574.35 square kilometers, Dong Van is home to a wide variety of geological wonders, according to Vu Cao Minh, former deputy chief of Vietnam’s Institute of Geology.

Fossils of nearly 1,000 species, including ancient fish, have been found across the highlands, he said, adding that its var-ied topography soars in places to heights of 700 meters high.

The highlands’ appeal also comes from the fact that nearly 20 ethnic minority people with different customs are living there, Minh said.

Northern Vietnam Highlands named UNESCO “Geopark”

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Hanoi to host Japanese language festival


VIETNAM NEWS

While Thang Long - Hanoi is celebrating its 1000th anniversary, with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung announcing that the city “wants to be friends with every country of the world and to boost international peace, friendship, co-operation and development”, a photo exhibition opens in Paris, France to promote international dialogue and give the French audience a taste of Vietnam. Held in Paris, France, from October 8th to November 30th, 2010, the photo exhibition “The Many Faces of Vietnam” presents 34 pictures taken by French photographer Ce-dric Pouralle. The pictures, mostly portraits, were taken during Pouralle’s trips to Viet-nam, from 2005 to 2010. They feature people of all ages, ethnic groups, etc., in order to show the diversity of today’s Vietnam and to illustrate both its traditions and its modernity. Cedric Pouralle first discovered Vietnam upon receiving a postcard showing the density of Hanoi’s urban traffic. Having been raised in a multicultural background in the Paris region and having made friends with many Asian people when he was studying fine arts, he decided to take a trip to Viet-nam. In 2005, he journeyed across Vietnam, North to South, and fell in love with the coun-try and its people. He decided to go back to Vietnam in 2010, staying there three months,

in order to better discover the country and to take beautiful pictures so as to transmit his sense of wonder to the French audience. In 2010, he spent several weeks in Hanoi. He also visited Lao Cai and Sapa, meeting with the ethnic minorities. He went to the Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Mui Ne, the Mekong Delta and Saigon. He also attended the Elephant Race Festival in Dak Lak. He found the Vietnamese to be very kind and helpful, even though he spoke little Vietnamese. He was always treated well and used photography as a language, showing his pictures to the people he was shooting. He was also thrilled to see the country’s economic boom in just five years, with Hanoi becoming ever more modern, while retain-ing its distinctive historical character. The opening party for the photo exhibition took place on October 8th, 2010, in Paris, in the presence of overseas Vietnamese and international visitors. The exhibition has raised great interest, with the audience com-menting on the differences and similarities between the Vietnamese and the French way of life. The exhibition is to be transferred to a larger

venue in 2011, so as to reach a larger audi-ence. Cedric Pouralle plans to go back to Vietnam in the future and will continue to document his discoveries throughout a country he has grown to love. For further information, please contact Me-lusine Bonneau (co-organizer of the exhibi-tion in Paris) at [email protected] or visit website: http://necta.net/

Northern Vietnam Highlands named UNESCO “Geopark”

Exhibition on “The Many Faces of Vietnam” opens in Paris, France

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Hanoi to host Japanese language festival

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7VIETNAM NEWS

Only with 1,000-2,000 Baht (equivalent to VND600,000-1.2 million), Thai or Viet-namese people can visit each country in one day and one night, says Surapong

Prasert, CEO of Thailand’s Phakbhum Company.

As planned, the company will invest 300 million Baht (approximately VND180 billion) to upgrade Route 12 through Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

This 200km-long route runs from Nakhon Phanom province (northeastern Thailand), through Kham Muon province (Laos) into Quang Binh province (Vietnam).

Mr. Surapong said that the company’s plan has been accepted in principle by Laotian and Viet-namese authorities.

The third friendship bridge across the Mekong River between Nakhon Phanom province (Thai-land) and Kham Muon (Laos) is being built at a cost of 1.8 billion Baht, funded by the Thai Govern-ment. When completed in 2011, it will shorten the way from Thailand to Vietnam and reduce travel fares between the two countries.

Meanwhile, a bus ticket from Thailand, through Laos to Vietnam will be reduced to 500 Baht (VND300,000). It currently costs tens of thousands of Baht.

New bus route through Vietnam, Laos and Thailand


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As tourism develops, the more tourists are attracted, the more urgent environmental problems are raised. Building a “green-clean-beautiful” tourism environment has become the concern of local authorities, tourism companies and also local people and tourism staff.

Polluted environments at tourism destinations are the main challenge for the industry. Littering at beaches, scenic areas and historical parks is unfortunately common. The problems in Long Hai beach (Vung Tau province), Do Son beach (Hai Phong) are very worrying. According to Mr Le Dai Nam, the director of Open Tour Company, the problem of polluted tourism destinations is spreading in the north. Hygiene standards and common cleanliness are too often overlooked at restaurants and cafeterias serv-ing tourists, especially in high season. Mr Vu Quyet Thang, the director of Hoang Viet Travel JSC said, “I was ashamed but I have to say that I did witness a tourist threw the shell of a coconut and a plastic bag into the river. If I reminded them, they would not listen to me and would respond in an arrogant attitude.”

Protecting the tourism environment is the responsibility of the whole community. Tourism environment is not only hygiene, but also the sightseeing, personality, culture of communication and service attitude. In other words, the rubbish and pollution at tourism spots are as bad as aggressively competing for customers or badgering them for a purchase.

Understanding clearly the important role of protecting tourism spots in the strategy to develop the industry, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism considers “conserv-ing and up-keeping culture values and protecting ecological environment” as the priority goal for developing sustainable tourism. Local authorities and tourism man-agement bodies in well-developed tourism provinces such as Binh Thuan, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Da Nang, etc typically organize campaigns to clean the environment, which attracts the whole community to take part. From the companies, apart from providing coordinators and guides with awareness of protecting the environment, some com-panies add special activities to their tours. For example, Saigon Tourist with “Way to the forest” program, “Each tree for each one”, “Be friendly with the environment and nature” to raise awareness of protecting tourism environment for tourists.

Therefore, protecting the environment is the responsibility of the whole community. Each area’s tourism strategy should attract the participation of the whole community; help them understand the indispensable relationship between protecting tourism environment and the goals of hunger elimination and poverty reduction in the local area. Once taking part in tourism activities and benefiting from them, local people understand that protecting the tourism environment is protecting their lives. That is the solution to protecting the tourism environment sustainably.

Green tourism environment in VietnamB

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VIETNAM NEWS


VIETNAM NEWS

Nine tourism and transportation service providers in Vietnam along with 18 companies in Laos and Cambodia have won the Tourism Alliance Awards 2010. The prizes were given during the sixth Inter-national Travel Expo in HCMC.

In the Vietnam category, HCMC, the biggest tourism centre, was the biggest winner. The city has the Inbound Tour Opera-tor of the Year- Saigontourist, the Outbound Tour Operator of the Year – Vietravel, the Business Hotel of the Year - Caravelle Hotel, the Luxury Hotel of the Year - Park Hyatt, the Budget Hotel of the Year- Palace Hotel Saigon, and the Restaurant of the Year - Li Bai (Sheraton Hotel).

Both of the other Vietnamese winners were located in the coastal city of Nha Trang - Resort of the Year - Six Senses Hideaway Ninh Van Bay and the Spa of the Year - Evason Ana Mandara.

The national airlines of Vietnam Airlines won the Airline of the Year award.

According to the organising committee, around 80 service providers in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam were nominated for awards.

Here the list of winners

In Cambodia Category

• Inbound Tour Operator of the Year - Apsara• Tours Outbound Tour Operator of the Year - First Travel• Business Hotel of the Year: NagaWorld• Luxury Hotel of the Year: Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort• Resort of the Year - Borei Angkor Resort & Spa• Budget Hotel of the Year: Almond Hotel• Restaurant of the Year - Malis Restaurant• Spa of the Year - Sokha Hotels, Resorts & Spa

In Lao Category

• Inbound Tour Operator of the Year - Visit Asia Travel• Outbound Tour Operator of the Year - Visit Asia Travel• Business Hotel of the Year - Don Chan Palace• Luxury Hotel of the Year - Lao Plaza• Hotel Resort of the Year - Champassak Grand• Restaurant of the Year - Phatoke Laoderm Restaurant• Spa of the Year - Champassak Grand• Airline of the Year - Lao Airlines

In Vietnam Category

• Inbound Tour Operator of the Year- Saigon Tourist• Outbound Tour Operator of the Year – Vietravel• Business Hotel of the Year - Caravelle Hotel• Luxury Hotel of the Year - Park Hyatt• Resort of the Year - Six Senses Hideaway Ninh Van Bay• Budget Hotel of the Year- Palace Hotel Saigon• Restaurant of the Year - Li Bai (Sheraton Hotel)• Spa of the Year - Evason Ana Mandara• Airline of the Year - Vietnam Airlines

Vietnamese service providers win tourism alliance awards

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VIETNAM NEWS 11

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VIETNAM NEWS

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Vietnam National Tourism Adminis-tration (VNTA) will coordinate to discuss ways to carry out the program, namely “1 million tourists in 2015”. This was said by Mr. Sansern Ngaorungsi, Deputy Governor of TAT for International Marketing (Asia and South Pacific) in a conference introducing tourism develop-

ment targets in 2010 of TAT in Ho Chi Minh City. The two sides focused on plans to ex-change information, invite journalists of Vietnam and Thailand to visit and report Vietnam’s tourism, and invite travel agents from the two countries to take part in exhi-bition fairs. In 2009; 370,000 Vietnamese travelled to

Thailand and more than 100,000 Thailand toured Vietnam. In the first eight months of 2010, 240,000 Vietnamese tourists visited Thailand while the figure of Thailand to Vietnam was 120,000. Vietnam was ranked third among ASEAN tourists visiting Thailand. Currently, there are more than 80 flights a week from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City by Vietnam Airlines, Thai Airways, Air Asia, and Lufthansa to Bangkok. Tourists from the northeast of Thailand can travel by cars to Vietnam’s central prov-ince and vice versa.

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The number of international visitors to Vietnam in the first August months of this year has risen sharply. The country has been put in the list of the top Asian countries with strong tourism performance in the first half of the year by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Vietnam reached the growth rate of more than 30 percent in the low season. The UNWTO has highly appreciated the quick recovery of Vietnam after the global financial crisis in 2009.According to the National Statistics Department, the number of international tourists was 383,500 in September, a year-on-year increase of 26 percent.The total number of foreign visitors in the first months of the year was more than 3.7 million, up 34 percent from last year.China and ASEAN countries are in the list of Vietnam’s top ten tourism markets.The country expects to receive 5 million international travellers in 2010 and 5.5 million in 2011.In addition, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have recently signed a cooperation agreement targeting at around 1 million visitors to the two countries from now until 2015 in the HCM City’s International Travel Expo 2010.Until the July, 240,000 Vietnamese visited Thailand while over 120,000 tourists from Thailand visited Vietnam.

Vietnam - Thailand launch “1 million tourists in 2015”

UNWTO attracted by the Vietnam tourism’s impressively steady growth UNWTO attracted by the Vietnam tourism’s impressively steady growth

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VIETNAM NEWS14


VIETNAM NEWS 15

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has proposed to the Prime Minister that localities take turns celebrating National Tourism Year from 2012-2017.

Thua Thien-Hue will do in 2012, Hai Phong in 2013, Lam Dong in 2014, Thanh Hoa in 2015, Kien Giang in 2016 and Lao Cai in 2017.

National Tourism Year is the biggest annual event in Vietnam’s tourism indus-try and is intended to encourage investment in local infrastructure facilities and services.

It also helps to train human resources, promote products in foreign markets, diversify and develop tourism in different parts of the country.

Since 2003, National Tourism Year has been held in Quang Ninh, Dien Bien, Nghe An, Quang Nam, Can Tho, Thai Nguyen and Hanoi.

Phu Yen is scheduled to host the event in 2011.

National Tourism Year to be celebrated nationwide

http://itcmchina.com/

http://caravellhotel.com/


INTERNATIONAL NEWS

The extension of visa waiver to the Schengen countries, kick off in year-end, is expected to boost MICE arrivals to Taiwan. The country already offers visa-exempt stays to 38 countries. Sin Chen, project leader for MEET Taiwan’s International Marketing said: “Visa is currently one of the biggest prob-lems that we face for MICE.” Aside from easing entry for foreigners, Taiwan also expects MICE growth to be fuelled by the sprucing up of infrastructure in Taipei.

The Ministry of Tourism led the tally of awards at PATA Travel Mart 2010, where the Indian contingent won six awards. The Ministry won a PATA Grand Award and two PATA Gold Awards during the PATA Travel Mart 2010, which concluded recently in Macau.The award win-ners: Anand Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, R H Khwaja, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, M Sivasankar, Director, Kerala Tourism and Dipak Deva, CEO Destination India and South Asia.

The recently concluded ITM 2010 witnessed the who’s who of the travel trade gather at the event hosted in New Delhi.

The recently concluded India Travel Mart was a grand affair. Organised from August 26-28, 2010, the event witnessed extensive participation from the travel trade fraternity. What added to the glamour quotient was the presence of Navjot Singh Sidhu, Member of Parliament and renowned sport personality, who inaugurated the Mart and also presented awards during the event. ITM presented awards for excel-lence in categories like International Tourism Organisation, Boards, Departments, Hotels, Resorts, Travel Agencies and Tour Organisers, for contribution to tourism.

Tourism Malaysia bagged the award for the best Internation-al Outbound Tourism in South Asia.Dubai Tourism bagged the Best Outbound Tourism Destina-tion award, and Mauritius Tourism got the award for the Best International Island Destination award. Tourism Authority of Thailand won the award for the Best Outbound Destination Promotion. Meanwhile, Vijay Thakur, President, IATO ac-cepted the award for the Best Tourism Association.

Bangkok, Hua Hin and Pattaya, honorably received the dis-tinguished awards of Excellence in the 8th Thailand Tourism Awards 2010 by Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa granted the Award of Excellence for city hotel tourist accommodation with more than 80 rooms: Bangkok, Pattaya Marriott Resort & Spa granted the Award of Excellence for same category: Eastern Region, Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa granted the Award of Excellence for resort hotel with at least 80 rooms: Western Region. In this regards, H.E. Mr. Chumpol Silapa-archa, Minister of Tourism and Sports gracious-ly presided over the event.The Thailand Tourism Awards or The Kinnari Awards is Thai-land’s ‘Hallmark of Excellence’ – a symbol of assurance in the finest achievements, outstanding quality and reliability of tour-ism products and services. It is a part of the tourism accredita-tion, which guarantees the quality of tourism products that meet international standards.

The Chiang Mai Convention Centre is expected to be ready for opera-tions in January 2012. Construc-tion is only 22 percent complete, less than the projected 29 percent for the first year of the building plan. The centre is expected to be completed by November next year and will be ready for operations the following January.

The 10th October was a momentous day for Curacao, as it became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Hith-erto one of the five islands of the Netherland Antilles, this change in status indicates more resources & revenue that will now be available for tourism development within the island. This historic change would bring huge potential for growth in Curacao’s tourism landscape.

Visa waiver to bolster MICE

India sweeps 6 awards at the PTM 2010

Tourism Malaysia wins Best International Outbound Tourism award

Chiangmai exhibition & convention centre targets early-2012 opening

Curacao: The world’s newest country

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Marriott Resorts & Spas awarded greatest honor of the Awards of Excellence

By TT BuReau

Bangkok Marriott Resorts & Spa


INTERNATIONAL NEWS 19

CHINA is making inroads into the MICE scene with the establishment

of two new MICE-focused industry com-mittees designed to make the country more competitive in the sector.

The International Congress and Conven-tion Association (ICCA) China Commit-tee was formed on September 21 while Beijing’s Dongcheng district, covering the eastern half of the Chinese capital, inau-gurated a MICE advisory committee on August 30. The latter comprises represen-tatives from Gary Grimmer & Company, MCI and the Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE) as advisors.

Star China Professional Programme’s CEO, Liu Ping, said the new MICE bodies signalled the government’s willingness to allow the industry to develop on its own, particularly since it was rare to have foreign organisations on MICE-focused committees in China.

Gary Grimmer & Company senior associ-ate, jane Vong Holmes, said Dongcheng, which boasts historical attractions as the

Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, was naturally strong for incentives but had yet to break into the convention scene.

“The district wanted a strategy to grow its overall MICE business. There isn’t a convention and visitors bureau (CVB) in China so it decided to set up this steering committee… which will help the district come up with its own CVB in the future, if need,” said Holmes.

Liu, whose company is one of the few private PCOs in China, however decried the government’s hold on event bids. She said many associations in China were government-linked or partially govern-ment-funded hence guanxi (interpersonal relationships and connection) played a key role in determining bid wins.

“While it’s good to have some government involvement in managing an event as it spends to ensure (a successful outcome), we wish we have more freedom to bid for association events,” Liu revealed.

Raising the profile of PCOs and DMCs,

which in turn will help build government confidence in them, is also one of the main objectives of ICCA’s China Commit-tee.

Ahmad Hamid Noor, ICCA Asia Pacific’s regional director, said: The Chinese government decides which public rela-tions company (which usually organises conferences in China) gets to manage an event. ICCA China Committee wants to change that and help PCOs and DMCs win events.”

The committee also intends to focus on drawing international events to key and secondary cities in China, raise the professionalism of Chinese MICE players and grow its membership ICCA presently has 24 members in China, just four shy of Australia, the association’s biggest Asia-Pacific presence.

“China will catch up very soon as we have received a lot more new applications recently,” said Ahmad.

China develops MICE industryBy Karen Yue


INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) un-veiled a new marketing campaign ‘Believe in Thailand,’ a strategic plan to alter event suppliers perspective on the Southeast Asia country.

The campaign is set to commence in the coming months and will highlight to perspective event planners the country’s strongest assets with business opportunities, renewed hospitality and a variety of tourist attractions, TR Weekly reported.

TCEB said they will also offer organisers seed money, free gala dinners and funds to underwrite site trips for the organisers.

“The campaign is about communications mixed with first-hand experience,” TCEB President Akapol Sorasuchart said.

“We want to show business travellers, MICE operators and event organisers that Thailand is back to normal, back on track and moving forward.”

Mr Sorasuchart has also promised to work with lesser known destinations in Thailand following the completion of a White Paper to promote the country’s north-eastern region.

The country will continue to use the current campaign Thailand Extra Value until early next year.

20

Accor, the largest international hotel operator in Thailand, has announced the signing of Novotel Bangkok at the capital’s IM-PACT Convention & Exhibition Centre.

The newly built hotel is scheduled to open in early 2011 with 380 rooms and suites, Accor announced on Monday 11 October.

Novotel Bangkok will be located within the IMPACT Arena, Exhi-bition and Convention Centre complex, which has an indoor use-able space of over 140,000 square metres and has hosted some of Asia’s largest events, including the Thailand Open tennis, the Thailand International Motor Expo, and Motor Show.

“Novotels are located at some of the world’s most significant conference, events and exhibition centres - including London’s EXCEL and Sydney’s Darling Harbour and Olympic Park pre-cincts - so we believe the hotel will be ideally positioned to cater for a wide cross-section of the market that will attend the Impact Centre,” Accor’s vice president of operations for Thailand, Cam-bodia and Laos, Oswald Pichler, said.

The 10-storey hotel will feature the latest Novotel guest room design and include two restaurants, a bar, swimming pool and fitness centre.

The IMPACT Arena, Exhibition and Convention Centre complex is a 30-minute drive from downtown Bangkok and an hour from Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Accor and IMPACT Exhibition to Open Novotel Bangkok Impact

TCEB launches “Believe in Thailand” campaign 2011

Novotel Lotus Bangkok



Addressing the media during the PATA Mart, Manmohan Sadana, Regional Director at Indian Tourism Board in Tokyo, said that the visa-on-arrival, introduced for five countries on an experimental basis, had shown positive results. India enjoyed a location advantage. “The Termi-nal 3 at the New Delhi airport had drawn much praise from all quarters,” he added.

Elaborating on the product diversity that the country has to offer, Sadana said that it was like a Walmart store, offering a wide range of products to choice from, ranging from the Himalayas, Bollywood, cuisine, adventure and shopping.

“The issue of rationalization of taxes had been taken up and would take some time to be re-solved. The arrivals from China were showing a healthy growth, and the numbers had already shot the figure from South Korea and were ap-proaching that of Japan,” he informed.

The press conference was also addressed by Samad, Director at India Tourism Office in Beijing. He said that awareness on the country was being spread in many cities in China and agents have been sent on fam tours from China to India.

Meanwhile, the India Invitation Dinner Recep-tion, held at the Grand Hyatt Macau, drew much praise from delegates, who had a taste of dishes from many regions of the country. The Bhangra and Odissi dances were also pre-sented on the occasion. Secretary R H Khwaja invited the delegates at Macau to come to India next year for the PATA Travel Mart 2011. The finale function of the mart was compeered by Arjun Sharma, who took the guests on a virtual mini cultural and culinary tour of the country.

India promotes new products at the PATA Mart

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ASEAN’s arrivals to Indonesia are expected to increase between 30 per cent and 36 per cent by 2015, according to Hong Kong-based Politi-cal & Economic Risk Consultant Robert Broad-foot.

Indonesia received 2.8 million ASEAN arrivals in 2009.

He added that Indonesia must invest in physical and human infrastructure to attract travellers. “You also need to think out of the box, such as exploring the land link to Singapore, for exam-ple,” Broadfoot said.

Marintur Indonesia executive director Ismail Ali said: “I think the projection is viable, with the growing economy in the region and the grow-ing new generation of travellers. Young ASEAN travellers who used to be accompanied by their parents now do it on their own. If you look at the pattern of European travellers, they have about three short intra-Europe trips per year as well as one long-haul trip.

“I also agree about the need to improve infra-structure, including developing land connec-tions, border crossing and probably an intra-ASEAN card, so travellers don’t need passports to travel within the region.”

ASEAN arrivals to Indonesia expected to riseBy Mimi Hudoyo

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS24

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will host about 8,000 local and international leaders from

the tourism industry to exchange and network in the inaugural Trav-elRave festival.

The festival will include a series of conferences, talks, and network-ing sessions from 18-28 October, AsiaOne reported.

The six different events held during the festival are expected to increase the participation of industry players by an estimated 15 per cent.

It will also bring to Singapore travel-related events which were previously held in other parts of the world, including Aviation Out-look Asia 2009 which was last year held in Beijing.

“By bringing all these events together in a very condensed and compact schedule, it will give them (industry players) the benefit of coming to Singapore, staying for a week or two and being able to attend more than one event,” STB’s assistant chief executive of Business Travel & MICE Group, Melissa Ow, said.

Among the festival highlights is the World Savers Congress to be held on 19 and 20 October, at which Hollywood actress Mira Sorvino will share her views on sustainable travel.

Meetings, conventions, exhibitions and business travel account for about 30 per cent of the total num-ber of visitor arrivals to Singapore annually.

STB to host 8,000 at TravelRave festival




TRAVEL EXPO

WTM launches UK Exhibitors’ e-Shop

T he World Travel Market has teamed up with VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, to

launch an online shop to help delegates selling UK based WTM exhibitors’ products to the WTM participants.The online shop – www.wtmlondon.com/uk shop - includes numerous travel services, exhibiting tourist attractions.For example, World Travel Market del-egates can purchase London Transport Oyster cards, airport transfers and train tickets from London’s four main air-ports – Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton.Furthermore, delegates can purchase tickets to dozens of exhibiting tourist at-tractions, sports stadiums and sightsee-ing tours. Exhibiting attractions include some of London’s most famous historic buildings such as: Hampton Court Pal-ace, Tower of London, Kensington Pal-ace and St Paul’s Cathedral. The UK’s leading sports stadiums are also selling their tours including the spiritual homes of rugby (Twickenham), tennis (Wim-bledon), and football (Wembley). Lead-ing football clubs, Manchester United (Old Trafford) and Chelsea (Stamford Bridge) are also available.Sightseeing excursions that can be pur-chased include tours of London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Lucie Win-ter, Regional Account Manager, World Travel Market, UK & Ireland, said, “The World Travel Market UK e-shop is a great initiative for all WTM participants as it allows them to purchase and ex-perience London and the UK’s leading tourism attractions.”“The e-shop offers a convenient outlet for UK exhibitors to promotetheir products to visitors who are look-ing to add a leisure aspect to their World Travel Market business trip.”David Childs Clarke, Partnerships Man-ager for VisitBritain eCommerce said, “We are delighted to team up with the World Travel Market to provide a be-spoke e-shop, offering UK exhibitors’ products and services to the WTM par-ticipants as well as making it easy for visitors to preplan their travel to WTM. It’s great to be able to extend the invita-tion for participants to let the shop help them make the most of their time here so that they can experience more of what London and Britain has to offer”

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TRAVEL EXPO


M ore than 13,000 IT&CMA business appointments for exhibitors, buyers and corporate travel man-agers took place on the 6 and 7 October at Asia’s

Only Doublebill MICE and Corporate Travel Event.

50% of buyers and corporate travel managers are new to the show this year. New buyer and corporate travel man-ager markets include Egypt, Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Portugal, Slovenia, Sri Lanka and Ukraine.

The event witnessed an increase of 20% booth take up. Country and city pavilions such as Singapore, Korea, Seoul, Brunei and Indonesia boasted increased exhibitor partici-pation. Thailand clusters occupied a total of 399sqm – the largest in this year’s show. Thai MICE cities that also have a larger presence at this year’s event include Chiang Mai and Pattaya.

Media delegate Mr Joachim Fischer, Editor-in-Chief of Tourism Insider, Germany, commented, “Sentiment on the exhibition floor is more positive than last year, with greater opportunities for sealing business deals. The quantity and profile of potential buyers is one of the show’s strengths.”

Ms Ma. Nedalin L. Miranda, Senior Convention Services Of-ficer of the Philippines Department of Tourism, mirrors this observation, “The majority of buyers that we met look like potential clients.”

Repeat buyer Mr Vineet Gopal, Director of Engee Holidays, India, remarked “Like always, the choice of exhibitors is very good and offers excellent opportunity for networking and to do serious business.”

Corporate travel managers like Mr Michael Beck, Global Travel Management of Bosch Germany enjoys the duo-na-ture of the programme that balances objectives of educa-tion as well as procurement at the exhibition. “Conference topics this year are relevant and beneficial. On the sourcing end, there are a lot of hotel varieties to choose from. It would be nice to see more Airline companies next year.” Mr Beck and his team of 9 from across Asia-Pacific are returning to the show for a second time this year.

The last day of the event also features two awards presenta-tion.

The 9th Sticky Awards recognises participants who have made the strongest impression during the event. Among the 13 Awards presented, categories include the Stickiest Function, the Stickiest Promotion, the Stickiest Buyer, the Stickiest National Pavilion (Bronze, Silver and Gold) and the Stickiest Green Booth. All awards presented at the Sticky Awards Lunch on 7 October.

Partner event, The 21st TTG Travel Awards held later on 7 October evening in conjunction with IT&CMA and CTW 2010. The event honours the best travel and tourism organi-sations in the Asia-Pacific.

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TRAVEL EXPO

PATA Gold Awards 2011 are now open

I ndustry stakeholders who have made outstanding contributions to responsibly develop and successfully promote travel-and-tourism in the Asia Pacific region can now submit entries to the 2011 Pa-

cific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Awards programme. The pro-gramme will be part of PATA’s 60th Anniversary Celebration and Confer-ence, Bejing, China, April 9-12, 2011.PATA Gold Awards 2011 are open for submission until October 31, 2010. Judged by panels of experts, the Gold Awards recognise exceptional achievement in six broad categories:

1) Marketing campaign (six Gold Awards and one Grand Award)2) Environment (three Gold Awards and one Grand Award)3) Heritage and Culture (two Gold Awards and one Grand Award)4) Education and Training (one Gold Award and one Grand Award)5) Marketing Media (nine Gold Awards)6) Travel Journalism (four Gold Awards) In total, PATA will present up to 25 PATA Gold Awards and four elite PATA Grand Awards at a special luncheon on April 11, during PATA’s 60th An-niversary Celebration and Conference, Beijing, China.The highlights of the winning entries will be on display at the conference for delegates to enjoy, and award recipients will be featured in the ‘win-ners’ showcase’ souvenir booklet.PATA Gold Award winners attract invaluable media coverage via PATA press releases and will be entitled to leverage the prestigious PATA Gold Awards 2011 logo on their websites and collaterals.Sponsored by the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) for the past 16-years, the PATA Gold Awards set industry standards for excel-lence and innovation.Said Joao Manuel Costa Antunes, director, MGTO: “The 2011 PATA Gold Awards are now open for entries. We strongly encourage our industry stakeholders to take this opportunity to present their outstanding work.”

Below are the list winners of PATA Gold Awards 2010

5. Ecotourism ProjectABS-CBN Foundation-Bantay KalikasanIwahig River Community- Based Ecotourism Project, Philippines

6. Corporate Environmental ProgrammePromote Ecology and Conservation on LantauNgong Ping 360 Limited, Hong Kong SAR

7. Environmental Education ProgrammeQantas Award for Excellence in Sustainable TourismQantas Airways Ltd, Australia

8. HeritageThe Launch of Sofitel Legend Metropole HanoiSofitel Luxury Hotels Asia Pacific, Thailand

9. CultureBaan Mae KampongTourism Authority of Thailand

10. Education and TrainingChild Protection WorkshopKuoni Destination Management, India

11. Marketing Media - Consumer Travel BrochureRevamping Consumer Travel Brochures of Sri Lanka TourismSri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Sri Lanka

12. Marketing Media - Travel Advertisement Broadcast MediaThailand Talks to the WorldTourism Authority of Thailand

13. Marketing Media - Travel Advertisement Print MediaMahatma Gandhi CreativeMinistry of Tourism, Government of India

14. Marketing Media - Travel Poster LIVE LOVE Campaign Poster and Quick Screen SeriesHong Kong Tourism Board

15. Marketing Media - Promotional Travel Video A Trip to the Heart-Warming Country of KoreaKorea Tourism Organization

16. Marketing Media - Public Relations CampaignHow to Launch a Large Hotel in a Challenged Market and New Brand ibisAccor Asia Pacific and ibis Singapore on Bencoolen

17. Marketing Media - Web sitewww.keralatourism.org: The Best Tourism Website in IndiaKerala Tourism, India

18. Travel Journalism – Destination ArticleFeasts of Hong KongChristian KerberTravel +Leisure Magazine, September 2009, USA

19. Travel Journalism - Travel PhotographWhale Shark, Ningaloo Reef©Rolex Awards/Jürgen FreundQatar Airways In-Flight magazine Oryx, December 2009Agency Fish, United Kingdom

20. Travel Journalism - Travel GuidebookKayak Philippines Primer Group of Companies and Philippines Department of Tourism

1. Marketing - Primary Government Destination Eco Tourism Marketing CampaignMinistry of Tourism, Government of India

2. Marketing - Secondary Government DestinationHong Kong Food and Wine Year Destination CampaignHong Kong Tourism Board

3. Marketing - HospitalityOutrigger Laguna Phuket Resort and Villas Opening CampaignOutrigger Hotels and Resorts, Asia

4. Marketing - IndustryLet your Mind TravelKuoni Travel India, India

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TRAVEL EXPO


TRAVEL EXPO

SPORTS TOURISM Tough Legacy or Golden Jackpot?

S ports tourism - one of the industry’s fastest growing sectors - can be an absolute minefield, Fiona Jeffery, Chairman of World Travel Market – the premier global event for the travel industry - claimed this week.Although the industry is starting to discuss sports tourism more than ever before, she said that the difficult and sometimes controversial

questions about sports tourism are simply not being addressed.“Undoubtedly sports tourism is a tough legacy for everyone”, she said.“But the myth is that those who successfully bid for a major sporting event automatically win the golden jackpot. It can be an absolute mine-field.“The rewards are indeed extremely high, but so are the risks. “This has been clearly illustrated by the problems surrounding the Commonwealth Games in India.”Jeffery said that World Travel Market, among the first to raise the profile of sports tourism within the global industry, is setting out to dispel many of the commonly held views about the sector at an important keynote debate on the opening day, Monday 8 November at ExCeL, London. A high-level panel of experienced sports tourism experts will examine the dangers that can often cause more harm than good.Speakers include: Marthinus van Schalkwyk, South Africa Minister of Tourism; Taleb Rifai, Secretary General UNWTO; Marc Bennett, Head of Sports Division, TUI; Chris Foy, Head of 2012 Games Unit, Visit Britain; Tom Jenkins, Executive Director, European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) and Richard Shipway, Lecturer in sports tourism at Bournemouth University.The session will be moderated by former British middle distance runner and the man who turned around the finances of UK Athletics David Moorecroft.“Lessons have been learned from major international sporting events such as the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, a financial disaster when the city faced debts for many years afterwards”, said Jeffery.

“The costs of staging an international sporting event can be prohibitive; venues are often not properly utilized afterwards and sometimes fall into disrepair.“Unless a destination/region has a long term business plan, integrating the sporting event into its strategic vision over 20 or even 30 years, as well as ensuring that the opportunities pre and post a sporting event are fulfilled and measured exhaustively, they are unlikely to reap the considerable benefits.“There is also little understanding that not only is this an opportunity for host cities, but also for other towns and cities throughout that country to dovetail other tourism events, competitions, sports, festivals and promotions to maximise the surge of incoming visitors.”Jeffery said that there are other issues too which are equally troubling.“Ticket pricing, the expensive acquisition of corporate hospitality that can exclude the public and overseas visitors, merchandising and, of course, security are just some of the issues which need greater discussion and transparency.”The free debate is aimed at agents/operators/hotels/venues involved in sports tourism; those who are thinking of trying to get involved in this lucrative sector; potential host cities; national tourist boards; and towns/cities in countries that have already won bids to stage major interna-tional events.Sports Tourism:’ It’s a Tough Game – but Some Win’ is at World Travel Market on Monday 8 November, 15.00-16.30 hrs, Platinum Suite 4, ExCeL London.The conference supports World Travel Market’s first-ever Sports Pavilion which has some of the world’s most iconic stadia exhibiting including Wembley, Lord’s (Cricket), Wimbledon (Tennis) and Twickenham (Rugby). English Premier League teams exhibiting including Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.

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TRAVEL EXPO

S ports tourism - one of the industry’s fastest growing sectors - can be an absolute minefield, Fiona Jeffery, Chairman of World Travel Market – the premier global event for the travel industry - claimed this week.Although the industry is starting to discuss sports tourism more than ever before, she said that the difficult and sometimes controversial

questions about sports tourism are simply not being addressed.“Undoubtedly sports tourism is a tough legacy for everyone”, she said.“But the myth is that those who successfully bid for a major sporting event automatically win the golden jackpot. It can be an absolute mine-field.“The rewards are indeed extremely high, but so are the risks. “This has been clearly illustrated by the problems surrounding the Commonwealth Games in India.”Jeffery said that World Travel Market, among the first to raise the profile of sports tourism within the global industry, is setting out to dispel many of the commonly held views about the sector at an important keynote debate on the opening day, Monday 8 November at ExCeL, London. A high-level panel of experienced sports tourism experts will examine the dangers that can often cause more harm than good.Speakers include: Marthinus van Schalkwyk, South Africa Minister of Tourism; Taleb Rifai, Secretary General UNWTO; Marc Bennett, Head of Sports Division, TUI; Chris Foy, Head of 2012 Games Unit, Visit Britain; Tom Jenkins, Executive Director, European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) and Richard Shipway, Lecturer in sports tourism at Bournemouth University.The session will be moderated by former British middle distance runner and the man who turned around the finances of UK Athletics David Moorecroft.“Lessons have been learned from major international sporting events such as the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, a financial disaster when the city faced debts for many years afterwards”, said Jeffery.

“The costs of staging an international sporting event can be prohibitive; venues are often not properly utilized afterwards and sometimes fall into disrepair.“Unless a destination/region has a long term business plan, integrating the sporting event into its strategic vision over 20 or even 30 years, as well as ensuring that the opportunities pre and post a sporting event are fulfilled and measured exhaustively, they are unlikely to reap the considerable benefits.“There is also little understanding that not only is this an opportunity for host cities, but also for other towns and cities throughout that country to dovetail other tourism events, competitions, sports, festivals and promotions to maximise the surge of incoming visitors.”Jeffery said that there are other issues too which are equally troubling.“Ticket pricing, the expensive acquisition of corporate hospitality that can exclude the public and overseas visitors, merchandising and, of course, security are just some of the issues which need greater discussion and transparency.”The free debate is aimed at agents/operators/hotels/venues involved in sports tourism; those who are thinking of trying to get involved in this lucrative sector; potential host cities; national tourist boards; and towns/cities in countries that have already won bids to stage major interna-tional events.Sports Tourism:’ It’s a Tough Game – but Some Win’ is at World Travel Market on Monday 8 November, 15.00-16.30 hrs, Platinum Suite 4, ExCeL London.The conference supports World Travel Market’s first-ever Sports Pavilion which has some of the world’s most iconic stadia exhibiting including Wembley, Lord’s (Cricket), Wimbledon (Tennis) and Twickenham (Rugby). English Premier League teams exhibiting including Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.


TRAVEL EXPO

WTM Global Trends Report 2009correctly predicts the future

The WTM Global Trends Report, in association with Euromonitor International, has a history of being on the money when it comes to the latest trends to impact the travel and tourism industry.The launch of the 2010 WTM Global Trends Report, taking place on Monday November 8 at World Travel Market, will be no exception when the key trends to hit the sector will be shared with the international media.Here are a collection of correctly predicted trends from the 2009 Global Trends Report.

The ‘Obama Effect’ and African tourismThe 2009 Global Trends Report once again proved its track record when it highlighted the ‘Obama Effect’ and its impact on African tourism as a key trend to watch.The study anticipated a surge in interest in ‘roots tourism’ or visits from Africans living abroad following the election Barack Obama, the first US president with African heritage.Experts widely believe the ‘Obama Effect’ has helped drive interest in the region and international tourist increased 5% in 2009 bucking the downward trend in most other destina-tions.The 2010 FIFA World Cup, hosted by South Africa, also helped spark interest and figures released in July by the Home Affairs Department showed foreign tourist arrivals up about 25% to 1.02 million from June 1 to July 1 compared with the same month last year. Pop-up HotelsThe 2009 WTM Global Trends Report also tipped Pop-up Hotels as a key trend and this was borne out in events such as the ‘Only In London’ event in March when the world’s smallest pop-up hotel was set up in key tourism landmarks across London.Female-only accommodationFemale-only accommodation was also highlighted in the 2009 WTM Global Trends Report and London’s Dukes Hotel launched its Duchess Rooms targeting female business and leisure guests to capitalise on this trend.Latin America travelEconomic growth and increasing disposable income in Latin America has sparked demand for long-haul travel for tourists in the region, a trend highlighted in the 2008 report. In June this year, Qatar Airways began daily flights to Brazil and Argentina tapping into this trend.Pet TravelA growing demand for pet facilities from airlines and des-tinations was another trend identified in the 2007 Global Trends Report. Since then Lufthansa has opened a luxury lounge for pets at Frankfurt Airport. In addition, Walt Disney World, Florida, is now offering Best Friends Pet Care, a full-service pet resort accommodating up to 300 pets and includ-ing a grooming salon.The results of the 2010 WTM Global Trends Report will be launched by BBC presenter Fiona Foster to members of the press at World Travel Market, the premier global event for the travel industry, on Monday 8 November in Platinum Suite 4 at 1pm.World Travel Market Chairman Fiona Jeffery said: “The launch of the 2010 World Travel Trends Report will provide the latest insight into the big trends for the year to come mak-ing it a must-attend event for the travel and tourism media.”

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The Entire ITB Asia On Your Mobile Phone – Free of ChargeVisitors to this year’s ITB Asia can download a free guide to the show on their mobile phones. After the big success at last year’s ITB Asia, the ITB Asia Mobile Guide again offers the entire show at one’s fin-gertips, including a list of exhibitors, a floor plan and information on press conferences and sightseeing in Singapore. The ITB Asia Mo-bile Guide, provided by GIATA & TOURIAS, will make it easy for ITB Asia visitors to find their way around the Suntec Singapore Interna-tional Convention and Exhibition Centre. The ITB Asia Mobile Guide also contains the programme of WIT-Web In Travel 2010, the Associa-tions Day programme as well as a list of ITB Asia events, presenta-tions and receptions.

New: This year, every exhibitor entry will have a direct link to the Virtual Market Place. So detailed information about every exhibitor is always at your fingertips.

At the end of each show day, the ITB Asia Mobile Guide can be used to find the best way around town offering ideas on where to enjoy Singapore’s nightlife. Restaurants and bars can be accessed along with tourist information, plus details about key attractions in the city. This clever system can be easily downloaded onto many commonly available mobile phones at www.itb-asia.com/mobile.

The ITB Asia Mobile Guide will also be available as an internet based version to display additional features such as detailed hall plans, shortly before the show commences on 20 October 2010 at www.it-basia.mobi.

The technology is based on a system used by TOURIAS tips&deals, a travel guide for mobile phones. The system was developed by the Germany-based provider of tourism services Campagnon Media, and GIATA, a leading content provider for the tourism sector.

About ITB Asia 2010ITB Asia will take place at the Suntec Singapore Exhibition & Con-vention Centre, 20-22 October, 2010. It is organised by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd and supported by the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau. The event will feature hundreds of exhibitingcompanies from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, Af-rica and the Middle East, covering not only the leisure market, but also corporate and MICE travel. ITB Asia 2010 will include exhibition pavilions and tabletop presence for small and medium-sized enter-prises (SMEs) providing travel services. Exhibitors from every sec-tor of the industry, including destinations, airlines and airports, hotels and resorts, theme parks and attractions, inbound tour operators, in-bound DMCs, cruise lines, spas, venues, other meeting facilities and travel technology companies are all expected to attend. At no extra charge, ITB Asia attendees can join the Web In Travel Ideas Lab and Clinics 21-22 October. Further information: www.itbasia.com

About Suntec SingaporeSuntec Singapore is a world-class venue located at the heart of Asia’s most integrated meetings, conventions and exhibitions hub. With 100,000sqm of versatile floor space over six levels, this awardwinning facility can cater to events from 10 to 20,000 persons. In addition, Sun-tec Singapore - Asia’s Convention City offers direct access to 5,200 hotel rooms, 1,000 retail outlets, 300 restaurants, 6 museums and the region’s newest centre for the performing arts, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay. While only 20 minutes from Changi International Airport, Suntec Singapore is conveniently located adjacent to the Central Business District and just minutes from the city’s entertainment and cultural attractions.


Australia, like most countries, has complex and distinctive cultures and traditions. With heavy British influences and a small population of indigenous people, the country has developed into a nation of in-dividuality. With their own brands of music and art, the entertainment industry has blossomed. Sports mingle with personal philosophy and new cuisines as Australia takes its place as a cultural center for the South Pacific. To much of the outside world, Australia is best known for its rough life in the outback and grilled meat---the barbecue is famously called the “barbie.” However, most Australians live in cities, and the cuisine of to-day is much more than shrimp, kangaroo and lamb on the barbecue.

DO YOU KNOW34

Australian Culture and Traditions to know when travelling to Australia (part 1)


DO YOU KNOW

HistoryAn indigenous population inhabited Australia for at least 42,000 years before European settlers came to the continent. An estimated popu-lation of 350,000 Aborigines was nearly decimated by disease and forced resettlement. Today, they make up less than 3 percent of the nation’s population.Europeans established the first settlement of Port Jackson on January 26, 1788, bringing with them the values of English common law. For the first 50 years, Australia was considered to be a penal colony by the British. Due to the high volume of petty crimes in England, the correctional facilities were overburdened. Hence, they sent thou-sands of convicts to the continent to live and work. These convicts established the backbone of Australian society and gave the colony its distinctive Anglo-Celtic features.

FeaturesThe unique environment of the country led to Australia’s brand of individuality. It combined the rougher edges of British society with the survival skills of the native population. Its major cities have be-come melting pots of culture, and the sheer distance between each urban center has created a nationwide identity of independence. The imagery of the outback has given the nation its distinctive brand of ruggedness. The tough terrain and extensive ecology has come to represent Australia’s cultural heritage.

SignificanceAborigines were known for their extensive cave drawings and mu-sic, which remain an important element in the population. A wooden instrument called the didgeridoo is the most famous musical piece, making a droning noise that has been picked up by many modern performers.Classical music and opera are very popular, as evidenced by the Sydney Opera House. Australia’s popular music traditions are heav-ily influenced by American rock. Bands like AC/DC, Men-at-Work and INXS have had international success.The film industry has expanded in recent years, with films such as “The Matrix” and “Star Wars” filmed in Melbourne and Sydney.

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DO YOU KNOW

ConsiderationsAustralians are known for their underdog mentality, readily seen in their sports. Rugby is one of the most popular, with their national team, the Wallabies, a favorite of the country. They also enjoy cricket and football. Traditionally, the final game of any competition is called the Grand Final and resembles the hyste-ria of any championship game around the world. The Australian dream of homeownership has sparked the rise in suburban development and the idea of the “fair go,” or abil-ity for everyone to have a chance to build a life. In addition, there is a certain united identity to the country, recognized in the statement of “mateship,” the idea of equality and friendship with their fellow citizens.

MisconceptionsAlthough it is true that Australians beer, the beverage of choice for most of the population is wine. The country has developed a reputation around the world as being one of the burgeon-ing centers for culinary creations. Australia’s unusual spices and foods make for creative recipes and cuisines. There is the obvious English tradition of meat pies and pudding; however, Asian cuisine has recently made inroads with the culinary pro-fessionals. The result is a changing atmosphere of food that is slowly being exported to the world.

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VIETNAM NEWS

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