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Finnair ups frequencies to China
Finnair is opening Shanghai as its new destination at the
beginning of September, 2003. Flights to Shanghai will be operated non-stop
three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from Helsinki with
return flights on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Finnair is also adding a third frequency to its Beijing
route from the start of August. As of August, flights will be operated from
Helsinki on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with return flights on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays. A fourth frequency to Beijing will be added at the
beginning of September.
“At that point Finnair will have 26 weekly services to
the most important cities in Asia,” says Finnair VP Corporate
Communications Christer Haglund.
Finnair returned to its normal three weekly frequencies
to Hong Kong at the beginning of July. At the same time, the Bangkok route
also returned to daily frequencies. Flights from Bangkok now continue to
Hong Kong three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On other
days the flights carry on to Singapore.
Air India offers incentives for online booking
Air-India is introducing attractive
incentives to promote bookings through its website www.airindia.com While
those who are members of its Frequent Flyer Program, ‘Flying Returns’,
will be entitled to double mileage points for every international booking
originating in India made online on Air-India flights, those who are not
members will be offered free membership of ‘Flying Returns’. A passenger
has otherwise to pay a fee of 1,000 rupees for enrolling as a member of
‘Flying Returns’ in India. These incentives, which will be valid up to
November 30, 2003 for journeys originating in India, are applicable for
those residing in India.
Forum for tomorrow’s
leaders MICE
Joyce Wong
TGG Asia
Asia’s largest MICE exhibition, IT&CMA will be
hosting the Asia Pacific Future Leaders Forum on November 4 at the IMPACT
exhibition center in Bangkok. Organized in conjunction with the Tourism
Authority of Thailand and European MICE exhibition, IMEX, the Asian version
follows the highly successful event held earlier in the year at Frankfurt.
IMEX director of international relations, Tom Hulton,
said, “The objective of the Forum is to present key meeting industry
leaders to the students so that they can learn how these leaders have risen
to their present positions and how they see the future of the industry in
terms of career prospects.”
Massively reduced SWISS
set for repositioning
Headed firmly for a turnaround, SWISS is to take drastic
action to cut costs: 34 aircraft are to be withdrawn from services and
around 3000 jobs will be lost. The new and massively reduced SWISS is
reacting to far-reaching changes in the airline market.
On intercontinental routes SWISS will offer its usual
premium quality in three classes, while on European routes, passengers will
in future be able to choose between alternative price and comfort levels
themselves.
In a meeting held on 23 June, the Board of Directors of
Swiss International Air Lines approved the cornerstones of the new Business
Plan. The essentials of the plan involve reducing the long-haul fleet to 18
aircraft, the medium-haul fleet to 21 and the regional fleet to 35. All in
all, the number of seat-kilometers is to be cut by 35%. The changes will
become effective on the 2003 winter timetable.
Hot and Spicy time in
Isan Summer Night
General manager, Ole Nielsen and the Sofitel staff
welcomed many special hotel guests to an evening of Isan (Northeastern
Region Thailand) fun. These VIPs enjoyed a special local atmosphere
including traditional food, music and entertainment.
Ole
Nielsen, the hotel’s general manager took a photo with PR manager
Natthaporn Rojplakirn and the hotel’s sales management team. The lucky
winner of Isan Summer Night received the diamond necklace valued at 10,000
baht. Ole Nielsen the hotel’s general manager and the owner of Apha
Diamond sponsored the Grand Prize.
Every person who attended received a complementary gift
from the hotel management. And one lucky guest walked away with the ten
thousand baht diamond.
This party will be held every year as a sincere thank you
to their valued guests.
Thailand expects to welcome
1 million Chinese arrivals this year
The number of Chinese tourist arrivals in Thailand could
be as high as one million in the second half of this year, as tourism
between the countries returns to normal, according to Tourism and Sports
Minister Sontaya Khunpluem.
Sontaya said that he expects Thai tourism to return on
track from the third quarter (July-September) onwards. “This is because
the Chinese government has lifted its ban on outbound tours and traveling to
Thailand as of July 1,” said Sontaya. If targets are met, the country’s
tourism revenue would reach about 350 billion baht, making the tourism
industry grow around 6% this year, the minister projected. (TNA)
National Science Museum
trains tour guides
Bangkok’s National Science Museum Organization (NSMO)
has started training tour operators to guide tourists around the museum’s
state-of-the-art facilities. The organization recently held a 2-day seminar
and workshop for tour operators and tour guides.
Suppachai Sitthilert, director of the Ecology and
Environment Museum of NSMO disclosed that the National Science Museum is
planning to publicize the Museum through tour agencies as it has not
achieved its target to draw the public’s attention.
Since the museum’s opening in 2000, only about two
million visitors have been recorded and most of these were students.
“The science museum does attract some tourist groups
but they can’t enjoy all exhibits provided with special techniques,”
Suppachai said.
To increase interest, NSMO sees an opportunity to promote
the science museum as a part of Unseen in Thailand, the government’s
tourism campaign to stimulate the travel industry. The arrangement hopes to
set guidelines for staff of travel-related companies to help their clients
get access to the information available.
The museum’s cube shaped buildings is a landmark
attraction for tourists and inside the buildings presentations and
activities are entertaining and understandable. The “Science Theater”
features shows about scientific knowledge. The Natural History Museum will
open in August and will demonstrate the world of plants and animals. (TNA)
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