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HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 

American tourists continue visiting Thailand despite bird flu

Accor arrives on Phi Phi Island with Sofitel beach resort

International sporting events to help pull in tourists

Lufthansa overhauls website

Best Western enters Lak Island

Don’t miss out on fabulous Zurich in autumn

THA commits to conserving world elephant population

New airport drainage system due for 2008 completion

Tourism-related operators support liberalization

American tourists continue visiting Thailand despite bird flu

Thailand’s bird flu epidemic has not discouraged US tourists planning to travel to Thailand, according to the governor of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Juthamas Siriwan.

“Americans understand that the disease is restricted to certain areas and that human-to-human transmission has not been confirmed,” Juthamas said.

Juthamas said the US is one of Thailand’s significant tourist markets. In 2003, nearly half-a-million US tourists visited the country. This is expected to increase by 20 percent this year.

“During the first eight months of 2004 the number of US tourists visiting Thailand increased by more than 25 percent. The TAT head is currently visiting Los Angeles to promote Thailand as a key tourist destination. It is part of the TAT’s tourism promotional strategy for 2005 themed ‘Happiness on Earth’. Juthamas said. (TNA)


Accor arrives on Phi Phi Island with Sofitel beach resort

Sofitel Phi Phi Villa & Spa will open early 2005 on Thailand’s picturesque Phi Phi Island featuring a unique all-inclusive concept for guests seeking to get away from it all and indulge themselves.

The hotel is tucked into a leafy hillside on the main Phi Phi Don Island, just north of the uninhabited Phi Phi Ley Island and film location for Hollywood’s “The Beach”.

Accor Asia Pacific managing director, Michael Issenberg, said, “The opening of Sofitel Phi Phi Villa & Spa adds one of Asia’s best-known destinations to Accor’s growing network of Sofitel resorts around the region. For many years, and well before Hollywood, the Phi Phi Islands were well known to discerning travelers who wanted an exquisite location, with sympathetic tourism accommodation and a multitude of activities available. Once completed, Sofitel Phi Phi Villa & Spa will offer a new level of luxury accommodation on the island that has not been available before.”


International sporting events to help pull in tourists

Deputy Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Santichai Euachongprasit recently stated that Thailand hopes that a number of international sporting events taking place in Thailand over the coming months will serve to draw more tourists from around the world,

Using the recent Tennis Thailand Open tournament held in Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi Province as an example, Santichai said that sports were one of the five selling points being promoted by the TAT.

Noting that international sporting fixtures had helped generate a good reputation for Thailand in terms of its ability to organize international events and to ensure the safety of visitors, Santichai said that the TAT is pressing for more international sporting tournaments to take place in the kingdom.

He also noted that the participation of Thailand’s sportspeople in such events demonstrated the prowess of Thai athletes, while international sportspeople visiting Thailand were able to learn about Thai traditions and culture. Santchai added that sporting events planned for next year include a women’s football contest, a series of golf tournaments and the Asian Indoor Games. (TNA)


Lufthansa overhauls website

Lufthansa is revamping its website, www.lufthansa.com with the help of IBM and e-Travel. The airline has signed a five-year agreement with the IT giant and Amadeus’s ecommerce business unit to build and run its Internet portal.

IBM Business Consulting Services global relationship partner, Dr Matthias F๖rster, said, “The airline will be able to react quickly to market demand at any time, thanks to the built-in flexibility enabled by the new portal.”

Under the terms of the agreement, IBM will supply the consulting, solution development, maintenance and hosting operations. Amadeus will provide and operate the overall booking and fares solution. Both companies will provide the infrastructure, middleware and network technologies for the entire project. (TTG Asia)


Best Western enters Lak Island

Best Western International has signed an agreement to lend its name to a new four-star property in Lak Island, north of Phuket. If the owners of Best Western Palm Galleria Resort agree to a management contract the chain is pursuing, it will be the second property to enter into its hotel management business in Asia.

Director of development for Southeast Asia, Craig Chau, said the company entered into its first management contract in September with the Best Western Ban Aonang in Krabi. “We are looking at managing hotels in Asia as a way to bring locally owned hotels up to company standards,” Chau said.

The 100 million-baht (US$ 2.5million), 74-key Palm Galleria is now under construction and due to open on Pakarang Cape, one hour north of Phuket International Airport, by the end of December. (TTG Asia)


Don’t miss out on fabulous Zurich in autumn

Zurich, Switzerland’s beautiful cultural and business center has become one of the country’s major tourist destinations. Zurich is the city with the world’s highest quality of life that has a good deal to offer with all the attractions of city life: eating out, nightlife, fashion, architecture and design. World-famous cultural institutions and modern design can be found here, as can top restaurants and diverse nightlife attractions in the various trendy parts of the city. Throughout the autumn months of 2004, Zurich Tourism will be initiating several fascinating, varied and exciting events. Zurich’s downtown invites you to join us, as we celebrate Autumn 2004.

From Bangkok getting to Zurich couldn’t be easier than on SWISS (Swiss International Air Lines), which operates daily non-stop flights (except Tuesday) between Bangkok and Zurich utilizing its brand new Airbus A340-300. This state-of-the-art aircraft features some of the airline industry’s most advanced innovations in comfort throughout the plane and in all classes.


THA commits to conserving world elephant population

An initiative taken by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has led to the complete elimination of the sale of ivory products in Thai Hotels Association (THA) Bangkok member hotels. WWF director for Thailand, Robert Mather said the success of the initiative was entirely due to the commitment of the THA.

Mather said, “It’s true that we made the first move, but the THA has really worked hard over the past 18 months to make sure none of their members is selling any item made from ivory. It really is a great success story.”

In November 2003 TTG Asia reported there were still 18 THA member hotels allowing their premises to be used for the illegal sale of articles made from ivory. The WWF said at that time Thailand was Southeast Asia’s major center for the illegal trading of ivory and hotel shops were the biggest single identifiable distribution channel. (TTG Asia)


New airport drainage system due for 2008 completion

Deputy director-general of the Royal Irrigation Department, Kamolporn Hudsarang, recently admitted that the drainage system at Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi Airport will not be completed until 2008, three years after the airport’s opening.

Kamolporn said that the drainage system was not part of the contract which required completion prior to the opening of the airport, scheduled for 29 September next year. Nonetheless, he said that existing drainage channels would help drain off water until work on the drainage system was completed.

The government has given the Royal Irrigation Department a budget of 8 billion baht to construct the drainage system at the Suvarnabhumi Airport, some of which will go towards requisitioning land from 217 local farmers, who will be relocated to other areas.

Although the construction of the new airport has been plagued by delays, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who recently spent a night camped out at the construction site, has repeatedly insisted that it be opened on schedule. (TNA)


Tourism-related operators support liberalization

Most tourism-related operators have agreed to the liberalization of the service sector under the free trade area (FTA) framework, according to a survey by the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC).

Atta Pisalvanich, director of the UTCC’s International Trade Study Center, said the survey was made by seeking opinions of tourism-related operators including hotels, restaurants, food shops, and guided tours on the liberalization of the service sector under FTA.

It found more than 50% supported the liberalization although they viewed it could have both pros and cons such as new employment and investment, stiffer competition, decline in market share obtained by local people, and capital outflow.

They suggested the government give financial support to local investors in the service sector and oversee service price determination by local and foreign operators. They also urged the government to develop human resources in the sector, boost the security image of the country, protect investors, and suppress illegal guided tours.

Revenue earned from tourism has increased to more than 500 billion baht or 10% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) since 2000. Last year, the number of foreign tourists totaled 9.7 million with revenue 289 billion baht and was expected to increase to 12 million this year with revenue of 384 billion baht. It is projected that in the next 4 years, the number of foreign tourists will reach 18 million with revenue expected to rise to 700 billion baht. (TNA)