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Skål celebrates World Tourism Day
Board of Officers, Skål Asia (left to right)
Earl Wieman, Robert Lee, Ivo Nekpavil, Robert Sohn, Malcolm Scott, Gerry
Perez, Graham Blakely, Andrew Coggins, Hiro Kobayashi, and Andrew Wood.
Skål International Asia joins in celebrating World Tourism Day on
September 27, 2009. Celebrating diversity is this year’s World Tourism
Day theme and coincides with Skål International President Hulya
Aslantas’ presidential theme “Bridging the Cultures.”
“Promoting global tourism and friendship around the world is the link
uniting all branches of the travel and tourism industry,” says Gerry
Perez, Asia Area President, Skål International, “and it is the perfect
vehicle to honor and respect the cultural diversity that is the essence
of Asia.” This year’s World Tourism theme gives attention to the world’s
cultural wealth and the important role of sustainable tourism in
revitalizing local traditions and making them flourish in the company of
other cultures.
According to Perez, Skål is an association which encourages doing
business among friends and creates a network of professionals by
promoting seminars and conferences that strengthen the industry’s
professionalism. “Membership of Skål is open to managers or executives
involved in tourism management, marketing, and sales promotions in
specified travel and tourism businesses,” Perez added.
Skål Asia currently has more than 2,000 members in some 47 clubs
covering the geographic area from the island of Guam in the Western
Pacific to Bahrain in West Asia, and the regions of North Asia,
Southeast Asia, and South Asia, to Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.
The Skål International Asia Congress was held late last May in Incheon,
Korea and next year’s Asia Congress will be hosted by Cebu, May 27 – 30,
2010. This year’s World Congress is coming up on November 1 - 6 in
Budapest. More Congress and information on Skål can be found at
www.skal.org and www.skal-asia.org.
Floor space sell-out
for double-bill tradeshow
The MICE and corporate travel tradeshow IT&CMA and CTW has sold-out its
5,500 square-meter exhibition floor and increased delegate attendance.
The double-bill tradeshow, to be held at the Bangkok Convention Centre
at Central World in Bangkok from October 6 to 8, will welcome greater
numbers of MICE and corporate travel buyers from Australia, Belgium,
China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, South Korea, Mexico and Spain compared
to last year’s event.
In terms of booth space occupied, Thailand leads at 300 square meters,
followed by Macau with 260 square meters. Seoul Tourism Organization
will present its own 60 square-meter pavilion, coming out from under
last year’s Korean pavilion.
In total, the organizers expect more than 2,000 industry professionals
to attend, including 350 buyers and corporate travel professionals from
outside the Asia-Pacific region, including markets such as Germany,
Switzerland and the US. (TTG Asia)
Post-Lehman shift
to Asian traffic to stay
Ollie Quiniquini and Karen Yue, TTG Asia
Asian inbound agents have had to change tack to survive the downturn of
the past year, with many of the changes being lasting rather than temporary,
shaping in turn the future of Asian tourism.
A greater shift to Asia as a source as a result of 9-15 - the date Lehman
Brothers fell - will see the region looking even more to itself as a source in
the future, changing where promotional dollars go and with whom business
relationships are struck.
Intrepid Travel’s Asia sales manager, Mark Robson said, “The global financial
crisis showed the strength of Asia and the level of growth (that could be
achieved).”
Intrepid, whose main markets Australia, New Zealand and the UK slowed down,
intends to grow its Asian share from one percent to 10 percent in five years,
regardless of an upturn in its main markets in the last couple of months.
Beijing Dignity International Travel Service general manager Yuan Hui said
before 9/15, 60 percent of the company’s sources were Poland and Sweden, and 40
percent South-east Asia and India. Today, that ratio has reversed.
Tax to choke UK pick-up
Raini Hamdi and Sharon Desker Shaw, TTG Asia
UK buyers are sounding a warning over the impact of the increase in the
UK Air Passenger Duty (APD) on travel to Asia and Australia, saying this is a
threat to the pick-up they are now seeing.
The increased APD in two phases, first this November 1 and the second November
1, 2010, penalizes long-haul travel the most, and Asian tourism leaders are
urged to lobby the UK from implementing the second increase in 2010.
If that goes ahead, it will mean a 112 percent rise in departure tax on a flight
to Australia from end-2010. To the Far East, this will amount to 110 pounds
(US$180), from 55 pounds this November, a smaller increase from the existing 40
pounds, according to Funway Holidays UK product development director Far East,
Melissa Tilling.
“It is going to have a drastic effect on the family market to the Far East, as a
family of four will need to fork out 440 pounds and that’s excluding fuel
surcharge and other taxes. It is also going to make tactical sales difficult,”
she said.
Unfortunately, Asian heads have not been vocal on the issue, while sellers
approached by TTG Asia were not even aware of it.
Suvarnabhumi Airport
tightens security after baggage
theft problem
Responding to passenger complaints about baggage losses and scams in which
travelers are falsely accused of shoplifting, Suvarnabhumi Airport Wednesday
acted to tighten its management of service providers at the country’s showcase
port of entry.
Airport authorities notified a baggage handling service provider that it must
tighten measures to screen the criminal records of their employees, or lose the
Suvarnabhumi contract.
Following a baggage theft incident resulting in the arrest of seven employees of
Bangkok Flight Services (BFS) and airline security guards, Suvarnabhumi Airport
vice president Duangchai Condee confirmed that outsourced employees had been
properly screened for possible criminal backgrounds.
When such a crime occurred, those who participated in theft would be blacklisted
and no longer allowed to work at the airport.
Two companies now provide baggage handling services at Suvarnabhumi, Bangkok
Flight Services (BFS) and Thai Airways International (THAI).
Revised policies to resolve malpractice challenges at the airport and to restore
confidence among foreign tourists have been implemented, including installing
more surveillance cameras and requiring baggage handlers to wear uniforms
without pockets.
Ms Duangchai said that since the airport opened in 2006, about 99 percent of the
complaints, such as travelers being falsely-accused of shoplifting at duty-free
shops, unlicensed taxis and baggage theft, have been satisfactorily solved.
Services and security measures have been improved for the comfort and safety of
passengers.
Suvarnabhumi airport is striving to become one of the world’s top ten airports.
It is now developing its information and technology (IT) system by setting up a
free wireless internet system for passengers’ convenience in the airport
premises, like other leading international airports.
In order to build good relations between Suvarnabhumi airport and local
residents, a Suvarnabhumi Fair 2009 was held on Wednesday at the airport’s
parking area, where locals set up over 100 booth stalls for selling food and
miscellaneous goods. (TNA)
Bangkok Airways &
Samui Airport ranked in the World’s Top Ten
Recently, Bangkok Airways’ Sumalee Chaitientong (centre), corporate
communications director and Songkrot Palakawong Na Ayuthaya (right), senior
corporate affairs manager received a “Best Airports Worldwide” and “Best Cabin
Service Worldwide” certificate following the annual “Best Asian Travel Brand
2009” poll released by one of Asia’s top online travel magazines, Smart Travel
Asia.
First All-In-One Day Pass /
Hotel Room Key Card
for Bangkok Subway
Andrew Wood
In a joint initiative with the Chaophya Park Hotel, Bangkok, the
All-in-One Day Pass and Room Key Card has been designed to be highly functional
as an unlimited one day subway travel card as well as a room key.
Bangkok Metro Company Ltd. joins forces with hotel businesses along the MRT
route to encourage all to greater utilize public transportation as a means to
help reduce global warming. The Chaophya Park Hotel is the first hotel to be
initiated into this campaign with the launch of the brand new “All-in-One Day
Pass and Room Key Card” a specially designed magnetic key that can be used for
traveling on the MRT as well as doubling as a hotel key card. This innovation
serves to provide convenience as well as reducing valuable resources.
CEO of BMCL Dr. Sombat Kijjaluck, operator of the Chalermratmongkol MRT route,
disclosed BMCL is dedicated to continuously improving all aspects of services
based on quality that reflects on the responsibilities a company has towards
society, economy and the environment. With this in mind, the company is looking
at encouraging the general public to use public transportation to conserve
energy.
“The card effectively reduces manufacturing costs as well as resources as the
card has a longer shelf life and is recyclable. Today’s technology allows us to
keep up with interesting innovations and allows us to always keep our services
appealing to the public,” Dr. Sombat announced.
General Manager of the Chaophya Park Hotel, Andrew J. Wood said, “Many of our
guests choose to stay with us because of the close proximity of the subway, or
MRT as it is called in Bangkok. It makes getting around town so quick and easy.
For instance we are only 12 minutes from Asoke where you can link to the BTS
Skytrain.”
“The first ever All-in-One Pass and Room Key Card will allow guests that are
staying with us and who ride the subway to carry just one handy card. The
Chaophya Park Hotel is extremely proud that we were chosen to launch the pilot
program,” said Wood.
More information can be found at www.chaophya park.com or www.bangkok
metro.co.th or at the Chaophya Park Hotel, Bangkok tel. 0-2290- 0125 the BMCL
Customer Service Centre at tel. 0-2624-5200.
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