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IT&CMA seminar workshop draws in future leaders
IT&CMA (Incentive Travel and Meetings Asia) 2003
seminar and workshops will feature a new component, the Asia-Pacific Future
Leaders Forum. The forum is the first of its kind in the region and is made
possible by the show organizers, TTG Asia Media, in collaboration with Imex,
ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) and the Tourism
Authority of Thailand.
It is aimed at encouraging young people to join the
meetings and incentive travel industry and will include a lineup of industry
leaders who share their personal experiences and careers. Other confirmed
topics include event management in changing times by Meeting Professionals
International, crisis management for event planners and suppliers, and
creative marketing for MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and
exhibitions) destinations by SITE Asia-Pacific chapters.
Meanwhile, members of SITE International, which is
holding regional meetings with its Asian chapters in Bangkok concurrently,
are expected at IT&CMA 2003. SITE’s executive director and CEO, Ms
Brenda Anderson is also one of the speakers at IT&CMA. (TTG Asia)
Thailand tries keeping business at home
Thailand’s first meeting, incentives,
convention and exhibitions (MICE) event targeting domestic buyers was
recently held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok.
Organized by The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT)
newly-established Convention and Exhibition Bureau and the Tourism Council
of Thailand, the exhibition attracted more than 300 sellers.
About 3,000 executives of Thai government agencies, trade
associations, companies and multinational companies based in Thailand
attended the one-day mart. One of the key objectives was to encourage them
to first explore domestic opportunities for their meetings, seminars,
incentive travel program and exhibitions before looking overseas. (TTG Asia)
Lufthansa increases flights to Asia
Good news for Lufthansa passengers: Lufthansa increased
its services to Asia at the end of July and will again reach the level prior
to the SARS crisis on the routes from Frankfurt to Beijing, Shanghai and
Hong Kong. Frequencies from Frankfurt to Beijing increased by 40 percent.
The Chinese capital will be served with daily flights from Frankfurt. As of
12 September, instead of the smaller Airbus A340, the route will be served
by a Boeing 747, so seat capacity will also increase.
With three weekly flights from Munich to Shanghai, as of
September 2nd Lufthansa will also extend another important part of its Asia
program. Lufthansa passengers will benefit from a wider range of flights
from the new Terminal 2 in Munich.
“Asia is the most important future market for business
and an attractive tourist destination. The demand in the Asian traffic is
increasing again,” said Lufthansa German Airlines Executive Vice President
Thierry Antinori.
Emirates’ Skywards members get speedy check-in when departing from Dubai
Emirates Airline recently unveiled special kiosks which
will offer quick check-in time at Dubai International Airport departures
hall for Emirates’ First and Business Class customers. Kiosks are also
located in the airport’s main departures hall for Skywards members
traveling in Economy Class.
 Members
of Skywards, the frequent flyer program of Emirates and SriLankan Airlines,
who are carrying only hand baggage, can check themselves in, using their
membership e-cards.
The facility is also available to customers who are
members of Skywards’ partner airlines - British Airways, Continental
Airlines, Delta, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways
and United Airlines.
But the speedy departure process doesn’t stop there.
Customers traveling in First, Business or Economy Class can also use their
e-cards to pass through the electronically-controlled gates (e-gates) at
Immigration, giving them more time before their flight.
Six e-gates have so far been installed at the airport;
two for Arrivals, two for Economy Class Departures and two for First and
Business Class Departures, allowing customers to bypass manual Immigration
checks.
Travel group says Asia-Pacific travel to pick up in second half of 2003
By Patricia Cheng
Associated Press Writer
International travel in Asia-Pacific will rise in the
second half of 2003, with Chinese travelers spearheading the revival of the
region’s tourism that was hit hard by SARS and the Iraq war earlier this
year, according to a recent industry forecast.
Some 6.32 million Chinese are expected to travel between
July and December this year, an 18 percent increase over the same period
last year, said a joint statement by the Pacific Asia Travel Association and
Master Card International.
“We are now seeing positive indications of the tourism
recovery across the region over the course of the next six months,” the
statement quoted Yuwa Hedrick-Wong of MasterCard as saying.
The first half of 2003 saw a major decline in travel
because of the SARS outbreak in China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The
travel industry was already reeling from the impact of the Iraq war earlier.
The improvement in the second half will mean that
“businesses in a number of key markets have a chance to offset some of
their first half losses,” Yuwa said.
The travel forecast is contained in the new MasterIndex
of Travel, a six-monthly forecast for Asia-Pacific markets: Australia,
China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand,
Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.
About 60 percent of international tourist arrivals in
Southeast Asia come from these 12 places, which also contribute 77 percent
of international arrivals to Northeast Asia. The Japanese are expected to be
the top travelers in the region with 8.1 million of them leaving their
shores in the next six months.
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