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Skål Asia rocks Macau
Delegates attend the 36th
Skål Asian Area Assembly in Macau.
Andrew J Wood,
Skål Internal Councillor-Thailand
The spirit of Skål was well and truly alive and rocking in
Macau. The recently concluded 36th Skål Asian Area Assembly [AAA] held
during 25-28 May 2007 was by most accounts the best attended and the
most successful Assembly to-date.
With over 200 Skålleagues, VIP’s and guests in attendance it was
superbly managed and executed by the local club, Skål International
Macau and the Macau Government Tourist Office.
Under the leadership of Mr. Nuno Jorge (President Skål Intl Macau) and
Mr. Joao Manuel Costa Antunes (Director MGTO), the flawless running of
the Assembly was testament to the tourism operations in Macau.
The Skål Asian Area Executive Committee under the leadership of it’s
President Mr. Earl Wieman said: “We were truly WOWED in Macau. Everyone
was extremely impressed with the professionalism and commitment to the
36th Skål AAA. From the welcoming team; the smooth operation of the
transportation; the quality of hotels and meeting facilities; the line
up of guest speakers and official receptions, it was a magnificent
congress. Everyone we came across, from the very first point of contact
to the last, they were truly ambassadors for the industry and Macau”.
Skål Intl Vice President Mr. Phillip Sims, travelling with Secretary
General Mr. Jim Power concurred: “ My visit to Macau has been quite an
eye opener. The amicable Skål spirit matches the enormous growth and
development of Macau itself,” Mr. Sims said.
Guest Speakers included the Deputy Director of MGTO Mrs. Helena
Fernandes on Macau’s Diverse Tourism Product followed a presentation by
Mr. Mike Williams on Macau’s Tourism Business and MICE. The final
speaker was Thailand’s Mr. Bert Van Walbeek MD of the Winning Edge and
PATA consultant who spoke on Crisis Management, a presentation that was
expertly given and warmly received with a standing ovation.
During the Congress the Asian Area reported a 33.8% increase in members
with new Skål Clubs opened or planned in Thailand, Vietnam, the
Philippines and Taiwan. The Asian Area welcomed Skål Intl Dubai and
welcomed back to its fold Skålleagues from the Singapore and Hong Kong
Clubs, both clubs were strongly represented at the assembly.
The Skål Asian Area Congress will take place in Koh Samui in May 2008
with Bahrain planning to bid for 2009 and Korea 2010.
This year’s Skål World Congress will take place in Antalya, Turkey 04-09
November 2007.
Japanese are the best tourists, survey reveals
Online travel company Expedia conducts survey
on best and worst tourists
The travel booking folks at Expedia have published the results of a large survey
about the best and worst tourists. And it turns out that those bowing,
camera-toting Japanese are officially the “best” tourists, mostly due to their
politeness and tidiness. Americans and Swiss come in second and third on the
overall scale.
In other awards ... the biggest spenders on holidays are Americans, followed by
Russians and Brits. But Brits lose out in another category, being crowned the
second-worst-dressed of tourists: after the worst dressed Americans. And when
measuring the generosity scale, the Pfennig-pinching Germans came up as the
least generous tourists.
And we can’t leave you without whispering the results of who make the worst
tourists: apparently the French are the worst, followed by Indians, Chinese and
Russian. Of course, this is all a bit biased by the fact that the 15,000
respondents were hoteliers in Europe, so don’t be offended. Unless you belong to
a worst-dressed nation and then perhaps you need to spend more euro shopping in
stylish Italy. (eTN)
Cambodia revamps e-visa process
Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revamped the
e-visa application form on its website www.cambodiaevisa.com. Rather than having
to apply for a visa at a Cambodian embassy, an applicant completes the online
form and pays a US$20 fee plus a US$5 online processing charge via credit card.
The approval period for the e-visa is within three business days.
It’s important to note - as the site indicates — e-visas can only be used at
valid entry points to Cambodia. There are currently five: Phnom Penh
International Airport and Siem Reap International Airport for those arriving by
air; and for land at Bavet (Svay Rieng-Moc Bai (Tay Ninh) for Cambodia-Vietnam
and Cham Yeam (Koh Kong)-Hat Leuk (Trat) and Poi Pet (Banteay Meanchey)-Klo Leuk
(Sakaew) for Cambodia-Thailand.
The effort to offer a smoother visa application process is part of a
restructuring of the entire site, based on feedback garnered over the past year.
Enhancements have also seen the site now support more languages, including
English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Bahasa Indonesia, French,
German, Hungarian, Swedish and Portuguese. For more information click on to the
site at www.cam bodiaevisa.com.
South Korea to build a Universal Studios theme park
Universal Studios and a local partner have signed an
agreement to set up a theme park in South Korea by 2012.
With an eye on the nearby Chinese market, Frank Stanek, president of its South
Korean partner, USKOR & Associates, said, “What we are hoping to do is to bring
in a world class attraction not only for the Korean people, but to draw tourists
to this country.
He added, “We are confident that a theme park in South Korea would serve as a
powerful draw for tourists from nearby China.”
Stanek said, its location will be decided by the end of this year. “We are in
the process of evaluating our options.”
Attractions in the South Korean theme park will include Universal hit films like
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, King Kong, Spiderman and Shrek.
“We want to put you into your favorite scene from your favorite movie,” said
Stanek, referring to attractions at other Universal Studios theme parks based on
the films produced by Universal Studios.
Officials also said the theme park in South Korea will draw elements of South
Korean culture and cinema, which has taken the region by storm and are currently
making waves internationally.
South Korea’s concentration of almost 50 million people in the Seoul area, the
country’s economic boom and its familiarity with American cinema, have been
cited as the reasons behind Universal Studio’s decision to site its next theme
park in the country.
Universal Parks & Resorts chairman and CEO Thomas Williams told reporters at the
signing ceremony, the South Korean park could be larger than its Hollywood and
Japan joint ventures. “Korea has grown into an attractive market,” he said.
Universal Studios opened its first Asian theme park in Osaka, Japan in 2001.
Following five years of operating losses, it reported its first full-year profit
in the latest financial year ending March 2007, but it is still saddled with
debts exceeding its yearly revenue, according to latest financial reports.
Universal Studios recently won the bid to site its first theme park in Southeast
Asia at the new tourism mecca, Sentosa Integrated Development project in
Singapore and also its first in the Gulf region in Dubai.
In another development, Hollywood’s Paramount Pictures Corporation said earlier
this month it is also exploring a proposal to develop a theme park in South
Korea, its first outside the US. (eTN)
Thai AirAsia debuts daily Bangkok-Shenzhen route
Thai AirAsia will commence daily flights between Bangkok and Shenzhen on
July 15, the budget carrier announced last week.
The airline will use 148-seat Boeing 737-300 jetliners on the new route -
its 10th international destination and its third in China after Macao and
Xiamen.
An 88 baht one-way introductory fare is being offered on the route,
excluding surcharges and fees of between 2,400 baht and 2,500 baht. (TTG)
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