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New in Koh Chang
Sirima Eamtako (TTG)
Royal Princess Hotels and Resorts will become the second well-known Thai
chain to enter Koh Chang when it opens its first resort property early next
year. The first was Amari Hotels and Resorts in 2004.
The four-star Princess Resort Koh Chang, developed by Bailann Resort
Company, is on Bai Lan Bay in the south-west, about a 30-minute drive from
the main ferry pier.
Royal Princess Hotels and Resorts group director of sales and marketing, Ms
Jurairut Poonsin, said: “The entry of our first resort property will further
build on tour operators’ confidence in the potential of Koh Chang as an
emerging tourist destination.”
Ms Jurairut said the resort was introduced at the PATA Travel Mart in Hong
Kong last month and would be promoted internationally through Dusit Hotels
and Resorts’ regional sales offices in Japan, Germany, Singapore, the UK,
Australia and Hong Kong.
She said negotiations were also under way to include it in European tour
operators’ summer holiday brochures. Tour operators had been given
contracted rates for next year’s low season (from April 1), she added. Ms
Jurairut said published rates would start from 5,500 baht (US$146) for a
studio superior room.
The 96-key resort will comprise individual villas and clusters of
three-storey buildings. It will have 20 studio superior rooms, 10 studio
deluxe rooms, 20 pool villas, two seaview villas, 42 seaview deluxe rooms
and two VIP honeymoon suites.
Facilities will include a swimming pool, spa, fitness centre, children’s
club, three meeting rooms with a total space of 240sqm and outdoor
recreational activities.
Ms Jurairut said the resort was eyeing a good mix of Thai and European
customers in the family, honeymoon and corporate meeting segments: “Our key
selling points are reasonable price, beautiful location with a 150m stretch
of private beachfront and our internationally-recognised brand under the
management of the renowned Thai chain, Dusit Group.”
Passport? Tickets? How about packing your Geiger counter
Iran pledges to open its doors for nuclear tourists
The list of peculiar tourism concepts continues to get longer.
Joining the bandwagon now is a new concept from Iran, one which Iran’s
president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has himself initiated.
The president has ordered authorities to open the doors of Iran’s nuclear
facilities to foreign tourists in order to prove that the country’s disputed
nuclear program has been peaceful. It is being acknowledged that possible
attractions for tourists would include the uranium conversion facility
outside Isfahan, the uranium enrichment plant in Natanz or the Islamic
republic’s first nuclear plant being built in the southern city of Bushehr.
As per the information available, till now only United Nations atomic
watchdog and reporters have been allowed to visit the sites. But this would
change going by the latest development. However, the report did not clarify
the definition of a foreign tourist.
“Foreign tourists can visit Iranian nuclear sites, after Dr. Ahmadinejad
issued an authorization ordering this organization to study ways to do so,”
the head of Iran’s Tourism and Cultural Heritage Organization Esfandyar
Rahim Mashaii said. “This authorization has been issued since the Iranian
nuclear activities are peaceful,” he said.
Mashai said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad issued the order to show that
Iran’s nuclear program aims to generate fuel, not weapons. “We are reviewing
the related instructions in this regard,” he reportedly said.
A publication reported: “So, having marvelled at Isfahan’s magnificent
architectural heritage and admired the ruined Achamedian city of Persepolis,
a tourist could find him or herself checking out a nuclear reactor.”
The move comes amid a growing push from Western countries for Iran to be
hauled up before the UN Security Council for possible sanctions over its
nuclear program, which Washington alleges masks a weapons drive.
“The announcement came a day after Iran’s parliament voted to debate a bill
that would require the government to fingerprint all US citizens visiting
Iran. The measure was in retaliation for the fingerprinting of Iranian
travelers visiting the United States - a procedure implemented in 2002 for
Iranians and citizens of several other countries. (eTN)
Chief concerns
New Thai tourism minister voices long-term view, emphasising sustainability over numbers
By Mark Bode (TTG)
New Thai tourism and sports minister, Dr Suvit Yodmani’s, call for greater
emphasis on sustainable tourism - and not merely revenue - is viewed as a
major departure from Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) policy under the
previous government.
Dr. Suvit, 64, an environmental and social crusader, who was appointed
interim tourism minister 2 weeks ago, said the ministry’s main goal was not
only to register high revenue, but also to focus on the environment,
security and hospitality.
Dr. Suvit, who is expected to remain in the post until new elections are
held, added the tourism and sports ministry’s 2007 budget request of 24.1
billion baht (US$645 million) was too high. It is a 147 per cent increase,
or 14.4 billion baht over this year’s budget.
Dr. Suvit, whose previous closest association with the tourism industry
involved the production of a coffee-table book, did not indicate his budget
request, but said it would come into effect early next year.
The trade has responded warmly to Dr Suvit’s call. Association of Thai
Travel Agents (ATTA) president, Mr Apichart Sankary, said: “We need quality
tourists, instead of always talking about numbers.”
LTU Asia Tours managing director, Mr Raymond Honings, agreed. “It shouldn’t
be about revenue at all costs.”
Dr. Suvit also said problems at Suvarnabhumi Airport - especially those
involving baggage handling - needed to be solved quickly. Thailand, he
added, had the potential to become the tourism capital of Asia, but had to
focus on establishing itself as the tourism capital of South-east Asia
first.
The trade has called on the ministry to focus on a number of issues.
Starwood Hotels (Thailand) vice-president and area managing director for
Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, Mr. Wayne Buckingham, said the
infrastructure in some key destinations needed to be improved: “Destinations
such as Koh Samui are only going to grow as fast as the infrastructure that
supports it,” he said.
Mr. Buckingham said it was vital the ministry broke airline monopolies on
certain routes: “It’s no good to the industry for airlines to enter certain
destinations and control demand.”
He also called on the ministry to lobby governments to stop them from
issuing travel warnings too quickly, saying Thailand was still suffering
from travel warnings following last month’s peaceful military coup.
Thai Airways International executive vice-president for commercial, Mr.
Wallop Bhukkanasut, said the ministry needed to assure the industry that
Thailand was still a democracy with a free market.
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