Category: Asia

Cambodia government envisages a new programme to facilitate cooperation between the government and members of the private sector to enhance tourism development. The government has formulated a Board on Tourism Marketing and Promotion, which seeks to strengthen the promotion of Cambodia as a tourism destination abroad. The new body is composed of 15 members and is chaired by Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism. Half of the members will be from government agencies and the other half from the private sector. Five year will be tenure of a member. Samdech Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia “The Board on Tourism Marketing ... Read more

With vision to attract more tourists to the country, Pakistan government is planning to ease visa restrictions for visitors from 55 countries, including most European nations. Inbound tourism in the country has been almost dormant following the 9/11 attacks in the US. “We are reviewing our visa policies. We are trying to bring 55 countries into a visa-free region, which includes most of the European countries,” said Fawad Chaudhry, Information Minster, to the media. When Imran Khan has sworn in as the Prime Minister, he has declared that Pakistan would give priority to tourism, to explore the abundant tourism potential ... Read more

Astari Indah Vernideani of Indonesia has won the Miss Tourism International 2018/2019 title, during the finals held at the Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She was crowned by last year’s winner Jannie Alipoon of the Philippines. Julieane Aya Fernandez of the Philippines was named “Dream Girl of the Year International. Kenya’s Sarah Pkyach was named “Miss Tourism Metropolitan International,” Australia’s Sandra Callahan won “Miss Tourism Global,” while Latvia’s Laura Scuchare got “Miss Tourism Cosmopolitan International.” The host delegate from Malaysia was given a special award called “Miss Southeast Asia Tourism Ambassadress.

New Beijing Airport The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) aims to construct 216 new airports by 2035 to meet the growing demands for air travel. China had a total of 234 civil airports at the end of October, and this number is likely to hit 450 by 2035. This is part of China’s ambition to become an aviation power, reported Reuters. As per statistics, demand for passenger air transportation in China will surpass the US by 2035, representing almost one-quarter of the world’s total flights. Airports in China managed 552 million travellers last year, which is expected to grow ... Read more

Cupping Health tourism featuring Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is getting greater acceptance in recent years, as stated by experts who has been attending the International Health Tourism Forum held in Beijing recently. “Cross-border health tourism is in fashion now,” said Li Jiangbin, an official with the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies announced the establishment of a special committee to promote TCM health tourism worldwide. Acupuncture TCM health tourism provides tourists with an array of options, allowing them to experience traditional Chinese methods of healthcare such as acupuncture and cupping therapy, and learn ... Read more

For the first time in the history of Miss Universe, a transgender competed for the title. Miss Spain, Angela Ponce was the first transgender woman among the other 93 contestants in the 2018 event.  Although she did not make the top 20, Ponce said she was already a winner. She came for the competition after got crowned Miss Universe Spain for 2018. During the coronation night, the beauty pageant organization paid tribute to Angela with a video recognition.  The video was narrated by model and co-host Ashley Graham, who praised Ponce for encapsulating the attributes expected of a Miss Universe contestant. “Angela ... Read more

Catriona Elisa Gray being crowned as the Miss Universe 2018 Miss Philippines Catriona Gray was crowned Miss Universe, becoming the fourth Philippine native to win the crown. Miss Universe 2018 brought women from across 94 nations together in Bangkok for the biggest pageant in the world. Gray was a front-runner the entire competition, but her answer to the final question all but solidified her title. The final three were all asked the same question: “What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your life and how would you apply it to your time as Miss Universe?” She talked about ... Read more

Sagada Waterfalls The local government of Sagada, in the Cordillera Mountains province of Philippine, has imposed new rules to control the number of visitors and to ensure discipline of the tourists in the site, in order to control the rush in the coming holidays. It was announced by the Sagada Municpality on their Facebook page on Friday. “We would like to advise the public of our tourism regulations in Sagada during long weekends, holidays and peak season. These rules are in line with the on-going process of making Sagada a responsible tourism destination,” sated the Facebook message. Sagada is a ... Read more

Department of Tourism (DOT) is s of Philippines set to review and revise the targets and strategies under the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) early next year. “So we will be reviewing our goals when you talk about gross domestic product (GDP) contribution, direct domestic tourism, etc.,” said Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Tourism secretary. Tourism Undersecretary and spokesperson Benito Bengzon said the Junior review is set to begin by the end of January. “When we review the plan, we will not only review the strategic directions, the programs, but we would also have to look at the performance indicators which would also ... Read more

A total of 46 countries are participating in the 21st edition of the Miss Tourism International 2018 World Final which is said to be “The Biggest Event of The Year”. The event is happening in Malaysia on 21st December 2018 at Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Grand Ballroom, Bandar Sunway and it is expected to put Malaysia in the global spotlight. The theme of the Miss Tourism International (MTI) 2018 World Final is “Glitz and Glamour” “The event will be align with the event objective of “Promoting Tourism, Culture and Friendship,” while empowering the delegates to propagate values in their ... Read more

Chinese tourists can now directly book a tour package to Rwanda on the online travel platform of Alibaba. It was announced by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) on Wednesday in a statement. The launch of ‘Visit Rwanda’ pavilion on Alibaba’s travel arm, Fliggy, followed the launch of the Chinese e-commerce giant’s Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) in October, which aims at promoting tourism in Rwanda. Rwandan government and Alibaba have signed a MoU for the purpose.  According to the MoU, eWTP, Fliggy and the RDB will work together to promote Rwanda as a tourist destination through a Rwanda Tourism Store ... Read more

Second Philippine Sports Tourism Awards night will be conducted at Savoy Hotel in Manila on 5th December 2018. The objective of the event is to recognize those who are directly or indirectly take part in promoting tourism through sports. At least a dozen awards will be given to different entities, event organizers, hotels, airlines, government agencies, sports associations, destinations, corporate sponsors and charities. Founded by tourism marketing and public relations group, Selrahco, the Philippine Sports Tourism Awards (PSTA) is a result of the Sports Tourism Forum (STF) which had its inception in 2014 in Cebu City. The STF encouraged local ... Read more

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has accredited 13 tour guides, who are with hearing difficulties to guide deaf tourists to the tourism hotspots of the country. Their first assignment was to guide 30 students from the Philippine School for the Deaf (PSD) to Manila’s historical spots, including Rizal Park, National Museum, and Fort Santiago. Such specialized tour, which is the first of its kind, was designed to foster a non-handicapped educational tour for sustainable growth and development in tourism. The programmed was initiated by the Office of Industry Manpower Development (DOT-OIMD) in partnership with the De La Salle College of ... Read more

Meet Yu Wen, the egg carving artist from Dandong, in northeast China’s Liaoning Province. Yu, 49 and grand-daughter of a known local painter, has been practicing this craft for 25 years. Quail, goose and ostrich eggshells carved with traditional Chinese patterns and figures are laid side by side on the shelves as warm spotlights underneath shine through, giving off a translucent and elegant glow.Her display is just as much about eggs as it is about Chinese culture. Egg carving is often called “the most fragile art,” as it requires the ultimate precision and care before, during and even after the creation. ... Read more

New Bohol International Airport Philippines is going to have its first eco-airport in Bohol Panglao by next week. The Bohol Panlao International Airport (also known as New Bohol International Airport) will be inaugurated on Monday, November 27, 2018. It was after 15 years in the drawing board and rescheduled three times, the airport is becoming a reality now. Once the airport is functional the new airport will be the gateway to Panglao Island and the flag carrier of Philippine Airlines (PAL) will eventually move its Bohol operations to Panglao Airport. Bohol Panglao International Airport is going to become the most ... Read more