China plans to build many new airports


China plans to build at least 45 new airports in the next five years to serve booming travel, according to the top industry regulator. Li Jiaxiang, administrator of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said that incomes in farming areas have risen when airports open nearby, allowing their fruit and vegetables to be flown to more prosperous major cities.
Li gave no indication where they would be, but Beijing is spending heavily to develop poorer areas in western China and link them to booming eastern cities.

Philippines ahoy!

Philippines is the perfect paradise for people seeking adventure, history, culture and white sand beaches. Travellers are flocking to its shores for an experience of effusive Filipino hospitality as evident from the inbound arrival growth figures.
Philippines has registered a surge of 312% in Indian arrivals in December 2010 and 72% in January 2011. India is a big market and everybody wants a share of it which is apparent from the growing presence of national tourism offices, whose numbers have gone up from 7 to 35 in the last eight years. The Indian market is a significant source of arrivals, especially since global tourism groups point to the remarkable growth of India's outbound tourists which are also in the high-end spending bracket.
As part of their Indian promotion strategy, The Philippines Tourism Marketing Office, India has lined up travel trade promotions and tactical advertising. It is also open to partnering with tour operators and travel agents to promote Philippines. The Philippines Tourism Marketing Office has also organised trade familiarization tours to provide tour operators a first hand experiences of the destination and its diverse tourism products. Philippines boasts of mindboggling choices for all varieties of consumers from high-end luxury trips to group tours.
Addressing a major concern surrounding flight connectivity, Philippine Airlines has scheduled direct flights from New Delhi to Manila from March 2011. With the direct service, travel time will be shortened to just six-and-a half hour which currently is between 8 to 12 hours with the existing indirect connections.
The Philippines has been vying for the market's interest for shopping and entertainment. The major attractions places in Philippines are Manila, Cebu, Boracay and Bohol.
Being the capital of Philippines, Manila is considerably known for its large high-end shopping malls, entertainment centers and gaming facilities whereas Cebu, an elongated island, filled with the rich history of the country's past mirrored in heritage buildings and churches, the beaches and islands, is a perfect destination for nature-loving couples. Boracay which is an hour's flight from Manila is located approximately 200 km south of the Filipino capital, in the western Visayas region of the Philippines. Boracay is worldrenowned as an adventure island ideal for hiking, trekking, caving, mountain climbing, biking and horseback riding. Situated amongst the Chocolate Hills, numerous mounds of limestone formation, the most notable among the tourist attraction in the southern Philippines, is a little island paradise, Bohol. There are many reasons why one should visit Bohol. Those who favour some fun in the tropical waters will find a lot of idyllic beaches. You'll find all sorts of seaside wonders from developed beaches like Alona Beach to exclusive secluded waterfront locations for your own private encounters in the tropical waters. Many activities and places to see is enough to make visitors see the place as a sanctuary for a lot of nature's beauty.
Known as "The Smile of Asia", due to its hospitality, Philippines is a tantalizing country. Stop by and you will never know a more hospitable and friendly place for a vacation. 7,107 islands, 97 ethnic, cultural and racial groups and 101 languages… all this and much more is what this land offers. This place allows you to be as lazy and active as you please, and enjoy the balmy nights, partying on the beach or in the many resorts that dot the island.

The Sun is shining on Asian tourism trade

The sun is shining on the tourism trade in Asia-Pacific with double-digit growth 2010, largely by Chinese and Indian middle classes.
Strong economies and the proliferation of low-cost airlines are the reasons for this growth. There was an 11 percent rise in arrivals in the region overall last year, according to data from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), and 2011 is also expected to be a strong year. South Asia reported the strongest arrivals growth with a gain of 14 percent, highlighting a record year for India which posted 5.6 million foreign inbound visits for the year, a nine percent increase.
Over 70 million people went to Southeast Asia, 12 percent up on 2009, with Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines all ratcheting up record growth. Australia and New Zealand and the Pacific islands also had a record year for tourist arrivals.
The total travel market in Asia Pacific is expected to reach $212 billion this year, reflecting a near five percent increase over 2010.
Growth in the region is being boosted partly by a newly minted middle class in the enormous populations of China and India. According to PATA around 46 million Chinese and four million Indians travelled abroad last year.

Global Tourism Forum -Andorra 2011 in March

The Global Tourism Forum -Andorra 2011 to be held from 6-7 March 2011 will see all the senior representatives of the private sector, governments and United Nations organizations coming together to analyse tourism and its key role in international economic growth and development. In spite of its proven contribution to the global economy and to development, the tourism sector still lacks the political and economic recognition required to fully harness its potential. A growing sector, particularly in emerging economies, tourism represents a third of the services exports and up to 7% of employment worldwide.
Organised by the World Tourism Organization, in collaboration with the Government of Andorra, the Global Tourism Forum -Andorra 2011 (GTF) will focus on the key issues of Competitiveness and Responsibility. High level speakers will debate the state-of-the-industry following one of the toughest periods in recent history and the importance of tourism as a driver of economic growth and employment. Other priority topics include new business models to improve competitiveness, guidance on how tourism can and should contribute towards sustainable and responsible development, and future challenges and opportunities faced by the sector. In addition, the World Economic Forum (WEF) will officially launch its Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2010 during the event.
A High Level Tourism Leaders Retreat (6 March), amidst the scenic mountains of Andorra, will precede the Forum and convene a select group of tourism representatives from the private and public sectors to work closer together towards positioning tourism in the global agenda.

Green Buildings Asia to Take Place in Singapore

The 2nd Annual Green Buildings Asia, a conference on design and construction strategies for green buildings of the future, will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Singapore.
Governments around Asia are starting to implement mandatory requirements in response to global environmental concerns. Green issues are increasingly becoming national priorities and are part of the global climate change agenda. Attendees at Green Buildings Asia 2011 can stay abreast of critical issues; learn about leading-edge solutions and global sustainability trends in Asia and how they can enhance the value of existing buildings from award winning international architects and Asia's top property developers.
A keynote speech on how to benefit from the next wave of sustainability in the built environment will be given by Tom Haynes, the Strategic Innovator & Futurist of Australia's Create Innovation. Other green building speakers include Chris Twinn, Director of the Building Engineering Sustainability Group, Arup, China and Associate Professor Stephen Wittkopf, Cluster Leader at the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS).

Middle East ceremony to kick off World Travel Awards Grand Tour 2011

World Travel Awards is set to kick off their 2011 Grand Tour with the Middle East Gala Ceremony, taking place at Armani Hotel Dubai on May 2. Hailed as the “Oscars of the travel industry" by the Wall Street Journal, more than 400 senior industry figures from the region's leading travel and tourism companies, as well as a host of international media, will be in attendance.
A total of 462 Middle Eastern hotels and travel companies have been nominated for the prestigious event in 2011, with a World Travel Awards trophy becoming an increasingly important accolade for those companies wanting to stand out from competitors. World Travel Awards is preparing to show the strength of its support for the recovery of the regional tourism sector with its fifth consecutive annual gala in the region.
It is vital to remind travellers the situation in several key markets – including Tunisia and Egypt - has returned to normal, with major tourism sites open to the public, airlines running to schedule and tour operators in source markets selling trips.
According to UNWTO figures, Egypt alone reported 14 million international tourist arrivals in 2010, an increase of 17% on the previous year, while Tunisia saw 7 million arrivals.Both destinations are expected to grow again in 2011.
Graham E. Cooke, President and Founder of World Travel Awards added: “The region has shown remarkable resilience to overcome the challenges of recent times, with an exceptional focus on excellent customer service and facilities that are simply second to none.”
“These are difficult times, but tourism remains strong in some countries and it will remain to be important for the region. Our job is as always to highlight the positive impact of tourism, and this year's event will be even more important than ever for obvious reasons,” he added. Marc Dardenne, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “It is an honor to host the opening of the World Travel Awards 2011 Grand Tour in Armani Hotel Dubai, an iconic development, which underscores the remarkable strides the Middle East region has made in the hospitality sector. The iconic property has set new benchmarks in global luxury hospitality and will offer participants an unparalleled experience.”
The Middle East event kicks off the 2011 Grand Tour, with regional ceremonies following in Jamaica, Turkey, Egypt, and Thailand. Winners from the regional events will then go on to battle it out to be crowned the World's “best" at the Grand Final ceremony at the end of the year.
Voting is already underway, with stakeholders offered until April 4 to register their opinion.