Category: Latest Travel News

Nakhon Phanom (Thailand) – June 15, 2018 (travelindex.com) – For the first time, Destination Mekong is hosting the 1st Asia Film Destination Conference, as part of the Mekong Mini Movie Festival, co-located with the 2018 Mekong Tourism Forum on June 26th in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand.

Emceed by famed storyteller and early Lonely Planet Book author Joe Cummings, and chaired by H.E. Pongpanu Svetarundra, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, the conference explores the power of movie productions and user-generated videos and how they can be integrated into destination marketing.

In light of recent events, the first edition of the Asia Film Destination Conference is dedicated to Mr. Anthony Bourdain, a visionary storyteller who in many ways was a trailblazer in how we create travel content today, video in particular. His work with the CNN brought remote spots of the globe into peoples’ homes and inspired many to travel and explore the world with a new sense of curiosity.

Today, tourists are more experienced and are looking for new destinations and new experiences. Numerous films have inspired millions to visit destinations. Especially in recent years, there has been a growing phenomenon that tourists visit destinations featured in films and user-generated social media clips.

Recent research suggests that movies can have a strong influence on tourist decision-making and that films do not only provide short-term tourism revenue but can build long-term prosperity in a destination. Several countries and destinations quickly understood these advantages and have successfully increased the number of tourists through the magic of films.

Rob Holmes, CEO of award-winning destination film production company GLP Films will kick-off the conference with an overview of the power of film to tell the story of a destination.

In the Greater Mekong Subregion, there have been various films that have put destinations in the region on the map, starting from the Tomb Raider movies with Angelina Jolie in Cambodia, The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio in Thailand, Rambo in Myanmar, Kong in Viet Nam to the hit Chinese comedy film “Lost in Thailand”. Lost in Thailand in particular, has resulted in large numbers of Chinese tourists flocking to Thailand.

Deepak Ohri, CEO of Lebua Hotels & Resorts will present a case study of “Hangover 2”, which was filmed at the Bangkok property and put the hotel in movie theatres worldwide.

Ms. Sirinart Theenanondh, Chief of Film Business Promotion, Thailand Department of Tourism will explain how countries like Thailand compete for movie productions, while Ms. Titiporn Manenate, Director International Advertising, Tourism Authority of Thailand will demonstrate how Thailand has used film and video to attract visitors to visit Thailand.

Mr. Gopinath Parayil, CEO & Founder of The Blue Yonder from India shows how his award winning films have introduced community-based tourism projects in his country, while Lao based film maker Mr. Cyril Eberle. who directed films like “A day in a Buddhist Temple” as well as upcoming documentary “A little Land of Mines” how visual storytelling can make a positive impact and can create positive change.

Video Bloggers also have the power to influence consumers on where and how to experience a destination, especially in a world where user-generated content receives increased trust from consumers. Video blogger Art Thomya shows how brands can work with travel bloggers and what kind of content can promote destinations.

The innovative Mekong Mini Movie campaign is another testament to how film can promote destinations. After four months, people have shared and tagged over 300 mini movies of 60 seconds or less with #Mekong Moments and #Minis on their own social media platforms, including Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. These films, inspiring people all over the world with shared experiences to visit the member countries of the Mekong Region have so far already reached over 6 million people worldwide. The annual Mekong Mini Movie Festival has assembled a high-profile advisory board from travel CEOs to award-winning film makers, which can be viewed at: www.MekongMinis.com/Advisors

Jens Thraenhart, Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office and Chair of
Destination Mekong, the initiator of the Mekong Mini Movie Festival and the 1st Asia Film Destination Conference comments: “Today, video is one of the most powerful mediums when 4 promoting a destination. It has the chance to awaken wanderlust in the viewer by showing the essence and uniqueness of a place in a just a few short moments. But the power of inspiring people via film goes beyond promoting destinations, it can also drive change. In partnership with WWF and Khiri Travel, the Mekong Mini Movie Festival is creating awareness of sustainable tourism and conservation, focusing on the festival’s mascot, the endangered Mekong Dolphin.”

The annual campaign that continues until the end of the year is giving out the first set of country and category prizes right after the Film Destination Conference. The Mekong Mini Movie Festival Award Ceremony is chaired by H.E. Weerasak Kowsarut, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand. Uniquely, one of the prizes is the Industry Choice Award which allows Mekong Tourism Forum delegates to vote for their favourite Mekong Mini Movie during the Screening. Other prizes include the Editors Choice Awards, judged by an expert jury and the respective Tourism Ministries of the Mekong member countries, the luxury category prize is sponsored by Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.

Winners will receive the specially designed Dolphin Trophy created by Thai designer Thanwin Kamyeam in addition to once-in-a-lifetime trips in the region worth up to USD 16,000 each.

Submissions to the next set of prizes will close in October 2018. The final prizes of the 2018 Mekong Mini Movie Campaign will be announced at the 2019 ASEAN Tourism Forum in Halong Bay, VietNam on January 15th.

For more information about the Mekong Minis and participation, please visit www.mekongminis.com .

The 1st Asia Film Destination Conference is supported by marketing solutions provider Sojern, and more information is available at
destination-marketing-seminar/.
Registration is free at

About the Mekong Minis:
The Mekong Minis is a unique film festival that celebrates the many faces and experiences of the Greater Mekong Subregion and promotes the region as a single tourist destination. It is an annual regional tourism marketing campaign with its first instance in 2018, supported by all Tourism Ministries and the private sector in the Greater Mekong Subregion. The festival is targeted to attract amateur and professional movie-makers and create a large amount of content for the region with promotions and screenings internationally. The Mekong Minis campaign is powered by Mekong Moments.

Complete rules and criteria to enter the Mekong Mini Movie Festival competition can be found at www.mekongtourism.org/mekongminimovie.

About Destination Mekong:
Destination Mekong was created in 2017 to promote the Mekong region, comprising of Cambodia, PR China (Provinces of Guangxi and Yunnan), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam as a single tourism destination to stimulate responsible and sustainable development and investment, and drive inclusive growth. Endorsed by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office and aligned with the mandate of the regional collaborative tourism framework of the six member governments of the Greater Mekong Subregion, Destination Mekong executes targeted projects and initiatives via public-private partnership investment structures, including Mekong Moments and Mekong Trends, led by UNWTO Affiliate Member Chameleon Strategies.

About the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office:
The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), located in Bangkok, was set up with funding from the governments of the six Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries – Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The MTCO, which operates on annual financial contributions from each GMS country, acts as the secretariat for the GMS Tourism Working Group, comprising of senior officials of the six GMS countries’ National Tourism Organizations, to coordinate and facilitate sustainable tourism development of the GMS in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and promotion of the Mekong region as a single travel and tourism destination, in collaboration with the public and private sectors. The MTCO manages its award-winning Mekong Tourism.org digital platform as a one-stop platform to promote responsible and sustainable tourism in the region, as well as the annual Mekong Tourism Forum, whose hosting is rotated among GMS countries.

Paris (France) – June 12, 2018 (travelindex.com) – WAN-IFRA with six media organisations and their affiliates representing over 20,000 media publishers and professionals in over 120 countries around the world have come together to express concern over Facebook’s new advertising policy that labels quality news as political advocacy and includes such content in its political ad archive.

Through its attempt to address vulnerabilities on the platform before national elections in the United States, Facebook will undermine journalism’s role as the Fourth Estate and legitimize anti-journalism narratives around the world, the groups say. They are calling on Facebook to immediately exempt news organisations from the new policy.

The media organisations, which represent newspapers, TV broadcasters, magazines and digital-only news operations that employ journalists around the world, sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg urging the platform to exempt news organisations from the policy.

The organisations offer three broad recommendations as part of a process to exempt news content from the ad archive. While the recommendations in no way relieve Facebook of its responsibility for the problems created by their platform, they offer critical industry input to help identify reasonable, scalable solutions, working through a coalition of associations that have given the issues intensive thought.

Michael Golden, President, World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA): “Facebook must recognize the value of journalism created by independent news media companies and respect the critical role journalism plays in supporting societies across the world.”

News Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern: “Facebook’s new policy to classify news content as political advocacy could do irreparable harm to the news media industry. We are collectively proposing a workable solution for all.”

Jason Kint, CEO, Digital Content Next: “Premium publishers and advertisers invest time and resources every day to build trust with audiences. Facebook continues to undermine the premium brands of publishers and advertisers alike with half-baked attempts to clean up its platform.”

Alfredo Carbajal, ASNE President and managing editor of Al Día at The Dallas Morning News: “Equating legitimate fact-based news packages with political content will not only hurt independent watchdog journalism, but also confuse a society that is being bombarded with content created to advocate for ideological factions to the detriment of the truth.”

ABOUT WAN-IFRA
WAN-IFRA is the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers. Its mission is to protect the rights of journalists across the world to operate free media, and provide its members with professional services to help their business prosper in a digital world and perform their crucial role in open societies. With formal representative status at the United Nations, UNESCO and the Council of Europe, it derives its authority from its global network of leading news publishing companies and technology entrepreneurs, and its legitimacy from its 80 national association members representing 18,000 publications in 120 countries.

Phoenix (Arizona) – June 11, 2018 (travelindex) – With direct spending on business travel totalling more than $317 billion last year, according to The U.S. Travel Association, Best Western Business Advantage is doing its part to help small and mid-sized businesses save money and reap rewards. On top of the outstanding incentives that come as part of the free program, Best Western is providing all members a $20 Best Western Travel Card after their first stay this summer. Travel must be booked and fulfilled between May 21 and September 3, 2018.

For small businesses, the benefits are big. Best Western Business Advantage member benefits include:
– Preferred Rates – There are exclusive discounted member rates for qualified businesses.
– Automatic Elite Level Status Upgrades – Account owners are instantly elevated to Diamond Status and employees are elevated to Gold Status – so everyone in the company wins.
– 10% More Bonus Points – Business or account owners earn 10% more bonus points from their travelers’ stays, which can be used for future business stays, company incentives, and more.
– Free Memberships – Members receive a free annual membership to Tripit Pro, the all-in-one travel organizer, as well as enrollment in Avis Preferred®, which helps speed up the car rental process.
– Exclusive Promotions – Members receive real value through special offers and discounts.

Michelle Swan, travel coordinator for software company PBS Financial Systems, became a Best Western Business Advantage Member in 2017. “I had long researched a way our company could save money on travel, and I’ve found no other program like this. With Best Western Business Advantage, it is really simple to go online, log in and book all our employee travel directly from the program’s website,” said Swan. “The rooms we book are refundable if we need to cancel, and I love the 10% discount. For a small company like ours, this is really valuable.”

In 2015, Best Western Hotels & Resorts embarked upon a brand refresh, deploying more than $2 billion in strategic renovations and best-in-class initiatives to enhance the features that matter most to today’s travelers. Today, with a reimagined loyalty program offering more value than ever before and enhanced breakfast services, which recently earned the top spot in the category of food and beverage for midscale, according to J.D. Power’s 2017 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study, Best Western is proud to be giving travelers – and the professionals who book travel for their businesses – exactly what they want.

“With the ever-expanding portfolio of brands that today’s Best Western offers, we can provide business travelers the comfortable accommodations, local experiences and the up-to-the-minute technology integration they desire for a rewarding stay,” said Wendy Ferrill, Vice President of Worldwide Sales for Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and we take great pride in the Best Western Business Advantage program, which brings real value to small business owners and their employees.”

For more information on about the Best Western Business Advantage Program, please visit or email BusinessAdvantage@BestWestern.com

About Best Western Hotels & Resorts:
Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 4,200* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers 11 hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Vīb®, GLō®, Executive Residency by Best Western®, BW Premier Collection®, and BW Signature CollectionSM by Best Western; as well as its recently launched franchise offerings: SureStay® Hotel by Best Western, SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Collection® by Best Western. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including 64 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2017, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands, and Best Western receiving seven consecutive Dynatrace® Best of the Web awards for its leading hotel website. Best Western has also won nine consecutive AAA®/CAA® Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brand’s commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAA/CAA’s nearly 58 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Best Western-branded hotels were top ranked in J.D. Power’s 2017 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study – ranking first in breakfast (food and beverage category) for midscale; and second in overall guest satisfaction. Over 32 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Harley-Davidson® provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google® Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.
– All Best Western and SureStay-branded hotels are independently owned and operated.
– Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.

Contact information:
Marketing Communications Department
Best Western Hotels and Resorts – Asia
Tel: +66 2 656 1260
Sirimanas Maungrod
Email: sirimanas.maungrod@bestwestern.com
Orapan Sornnuwat
Email: orapan.sornnuwat@bestwestern.com

Bangkok (Thailand) – June 5, 2018 (travelindex.com) – R.HAAN, Bangkok’s newest fine dining spot from ‘Todd’ Piti Bhirombhakdi and Chef Chumpon Jangprai, has welcomed Mr. Santi and Ms. Aruni Bhirombhakdi, Mr.Bhurit and Ms.Nisamanee Bhirombhakdi, Ms. Preerati Bhirombhakdi, Ms. Woranuch Bhirombhakdi, other esteemed guests and medias from the dining industry for its grand opening on May 23, 2018 at Thonglor Soi 9.

Guests have been served to Thai seasonal food mainly made from natural ingredients which reflects Thai’s abundant resources. The name “R.HAAN” also comes from the direct pronunciation of the word ‘food’ in Thai which is the core of our living.

In addition to the ingredients picked exclusively from Thailand, the art of culinary that was put into the cooking process is also portrayed by the head chef who is immensely experienced in Thai culinary which will create an unforgettable dining experience for those who have visited here.

Mr. Piti Bhirombhakdi stated that “Thai food has always been my personal passion. I tried to study its art and was a part of many restaurants until today that I get to launch “R.HAAN”. This restaurant will be the gateway to Thai food, for both Thais and foreigners, to indulge in authentic Thai culinary. I also plan widen Thai food’s recognition worldwide by opening this restaurants in Asia, Europe and America.”

“I want Thai food to be appreciated in every corner of the world, that is why I have partnered with Chef Chumpon Jangprai, Thailand’s most decorated chef with more than 30 years of experience, to help create the best dining experience for everyone to enjoy. Not to mention that the restaurants will serve as outlets for our local ingredients to be known and sold across the globe too.”

“R.HANN” will focus on delivering authentic Thainess through local culinary, art and culture for everyone to fully immerse themselves in Thai culture.

The Wisdom of Thai Cuisine is comprised with 5 aspects;
1. INGREDIENTS: A home to vast Thai cuisine ingredients such as Bang Pakong sea bass, Pak Naam Bang Ta Boon blue crab, Kam Pang San special fed Thai beef, Ratchaburi chilli and Steamed Hom Mali rice from Chiangrai and Ubon Ratchathani, which will delight those who cook and those who have eaten them.

2. SEASONING: Thai cuisine has always been known for its extreme yet delicate flavors. R.HANN brings you Thai seasonal food, summer, rainy and winter, which will be changed according to the Emerald Buddha’s royal cloth-changing event. This tells the story of how food, time and seasons shaped our Thai’s happiness throughout the ages.

Also every menu is designed and served in sets, main dishes and desserts, a traditional Thai serving meant to be shared among everyone at the table. You will be treated to our special vegetable and sauce serving and more than 18 menus within a set. The sets are arranged according to Thai’s tone mark, primary, secondary and

3. HEATING: The element that combines everything to come together and become a splendid dish.

4. BALANCING: The 5 tastes; sweet, oily, salty, spicy and bitter at the taste tip, completes the real Thai taste. Each flavor needs delicate and experienced hands to fully understand and manipulate them masterfully.

5. PASSION: Displayed through the plates and silverwares hand drawn by highly skilled craftsmen, resembling the ones used in the palace back in Rattanakosin era. You can also feel the passion flows in the decorations, staffs and every elements in the restaurant that want you to enjoy the best Thai food at the best Thai restaurant.

The epicenter of Thai culinary is now here at “R.HANN”, visit us at 131 Sukhumvit Road, Thonglor Soi 9 Bangkok Tel. 02-059-0433

Naples (Italy) – June 5, 2018 (travelindex.com) – SUNx (Strong Universal Network), CNR-IRISS (Italian National Research Council – Institute for Research on Innovation and Services for Development) and t-FORUM (The Tourism Intelligence Forum) have joined forces to support Climate Resilient Sustainability for Travel & Tourism.

With a shared vision of the eXistential nature of Climate Change and the vital importance of “glocal” research-based decisions and action, the partners will leverage their respective strengths to advance Impact-Travel ~ measured: green: 2050 focused.

Prof Geoffrey Lipman, SUNx Co-founder, said “At SUNx we are convinced the Paris Accord and the Sustainable Development Goals are humanity’s lifeline – this was the vision of our mentor Maurice Strong. We want the incredibly influential Travel & Tourism sector to respond fast, objectively and with the best knowledge. We think that together, using modern research and communication tools, we can add a new dimension to travel resilience decisions starting now. The Paris clock is ticking”.

Dr Alfonso Morvillo, Director of CNR-IRISS, added “Our focus on deep strategic research across the services sector will be the underpinning of our partnership, as well as the commitment of the Italian government to foster collaboration, to cope with global threats and build a sustainable future through evidence-based decisions. Thanks to this partnership, our Institute will support local actions responding to the 2015 paradigm Climate and Sustainability Compacts.”

Prof Jafar Jafari, President of the t-FORUM concluded “Our shared vision, research, and innovation databases are aligned to transfer intelligence to and within tourism”. Our collaboration promotes the concept and practice of tourism for development. By linking academic and business perspectives, “we will reach out to like-minded colleagues around the world and will cultivate commitment to sustainability through various Strong t-FORUM events”.

This collaboration will be significantly strengthened in September 2018 by the assignment of two one-year postgraduate scholarships. The award recipients will work in Naples (Italy) at CNR-IRISS, which also hosts the t-FORUM headquarters. Their research will focus on the impact of climate change on tourism development and innovation. Furthermore, they will assist the t-FORUM in setting up the infrastructure for gathering and transferring tourism intelligence worldwide, advancing the goals of these three institutions by bridging theory and practice.

Contact:
Prof Geoffrey Lipman
glipman@thesunprogram.com

Bangkok (Thailand) – June 5, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels and Resorts is celebrating after 17 of its properties in Asia (Southeast Asia & and Japan) achieved the 2018 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.

Reflecting the company’s proud commitment to guest satisfaction and service excellence, Best Western-branded hotels in seven countries – Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand – all achieved the Certificate of Excellence, which is awarded to hotels that consistently earn great reviews and ratings from travelers on TripAdvisor, the world’s biggest largest travel site.

These award-winning hotels include city hotels, beach resorts and upcountry retreats, and cover four of Best Western’s brands: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier® and BW Premier Collection® by Best Western. The full list is as follows:
1. Best Western Premier Solo Baru (Indonesia)
2. Best Western Premier Panbil, Batam (Indonesia)
3. Best Western Plus Kemayoran, Jakarta (Indonesia)
4. Best Western Okinawa Kouki Beach (Japan)
5. Best Western Okinawa Onna Beach (Japan)
6. Best Western Vientiane Hotel (Laos)
7. Best Western i-City Shah Alam (Malaysia)
8. Best Western Green Hill Hotel, Yangon (Myanmar)
9. Best Western Thousand Island Hotel, Nyaung Shwe (Myanmar)
10. Best Western Plus Lex Cebu (Philippines)
11. Best Western Hotel La Corona Manila (Philippines)
12. Best Western Plus The Ivywall Hotel, Puerto Princesa (Philippines)
13. Amaranth Suvarnabhumi Airport, BW Premier Collection by Best Western, Bangkok (Thailand)
14. Best Western Royal Buriram Hotel (Thailand)
15. Best Western Plus Wanda Grand Hotel, Bangkok (Thailand)
16. Best Western Premier Bangtao Beach Resort & Spa, Phuket (Thailand)
17. Best Western Phuket Ocean Resort (Thailand)

“We are delighted that so many of Best Western’s hotels in Asia achieved the 2018 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence,” said Olivier Berrivin, Best Western’s Managing Director of International Operations – Asia. “This actually exceeds the number of certificates we received last year, so it is a wonderful reflection of how our hotels are continuing to improve and exceed guests’ expectations.

“As they are based entirely on guest reviews and ratings, the TripAdvisor awards are a genuine reflection of our hotels’ performance and the hard work and dedication of our associates. I would like to thank every one of our team members for their fantastic performance over the last 12 months,” Olivier added.

The Certificate of Excellence accounts for the quality and quantity of reviews submitted by travelers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period. To qualify, a hotel must maintain an overall TripAdvisor “bubble rating” of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least a year.

About Best Western Hotels & Resorts:
Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 4,200* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers 11 hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Vīb®, GLō®, Executive Residency by Best Western®, BW Premier Collection®, and BW Signature CollectionSM by Best Western; as well as its recently launched franchise offerings: SureStay® Hotel by Best Western, SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Collection® by Best Western. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including 64 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2017, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands, and Best Western receiving seven consecutive Dynatrace® Best of the Web awards for its leading hotel website. Best Western has also won nine consecutive AAA®/CAA® Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brand’s commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAA/CAA’s nearly 58 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Best Western-branded hotels were top ranked in J.D. Power’s 2017 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study – ranking first in breakfast (food and beverage category) for midscale; and second in overall guest satisfaction. Over 32 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Harley-Davidson® provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google® Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.
– All Best Western and SureStay-branded hotels are independently owned and operated.
– Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.

About TripAdvisor:
TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site*, enables travelers to unleash the full potential of every trip. With over 630 million reviews and opinions covering the world’s largest selection of travel listings worldwide – covering approximately 7.5 million accommodations, airlines, attractions, and restaurants — TripAdvisor provides travelers with the wisdom of the crowds to help them decide where to stay, how to fly, what to do and where to eat. TripAdvisor also compares prices from more than 200 hotel booking sites so travelers can find the lowest price on the hotel that’s right for them. TripAdvisor-branded sites are available in 49 markets, and are home to the world’s largest travel community of 455 million average monthly unique visitors**, all looking to get the most out of every trip. TripAdvisor: Know better. Book better. Go better.

Contact information:
Marketing Communications Department
Best Western Hotels and Resorts – Asia
Tel: +66 2 656 1260
Sirimanas Maungrod
Email: sirimanas.maungrod@bestwestern.com
Orapan Sornnuwat
Email: orapan.sornnuwat@bestwestern.com

Nakhon Phanom (Thailand) – June 4, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Hosted by the Thailand Ministry of Tourism & Sports, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and the Provincial Government of Nakhon Phanom, in collaboration with the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), this year, from June 26-29, Nakhon Phanom will be the host of the 2018 Mekong Tourism Forum. Situated at the Mekong River, bordering to Lao PDR, the city in northeastern Thailand boosts Thai, Lao, and Vietnamese cultural influence, important Buddhist sites, as well as modern infrastructure and convenient road and air connectivity.

This year’s theme is following the MTF 2017 theme of “Prosper with Purpose”, and the MTF 2016 theme of “Creating Authentic Experiences”. Travelers today are seeking a more transformative and soul-enriching experience. Tourism can be an important catalyst in changing people’s lives for the better through mutual understanding and acting more responsibly. The theme of “Transforming Travel – Transforming Lives” will start with a keynote by Jeremy Smith, editor of Travindy and author of the recent book “Transforming Travel”.

The seminar on Buddhist Tourism will explore the power of transformative travel. As one of the fastest growing tourism segments in Asia, Buddhist Tourism not only draws international tourists into the GMS, but also boots domestic travel and contributes significantly to the local economies. Nakhon Phanom, this year’s host of the Mekong Tourism Forum and an important center of Buddhism in northeastern Thailand is the perfect destination to focus on Buddhist Tourism.

The Experience Mekong Collection, featuring over 150 responsible and sustainable small businesses in the GMS, will showcase innovative case studies from each of the GMS countries. Small travel operators, giving back to local communities, promoting gender equality, and alleviating poverty is a key mandate of the Mekong Tourism Collaboration between the six member countries. The Experience Mekong Collection brings this mandate alive, and acts as a capacity building platform to educate other businesses how to adopt responsible and sustainable business practices. In addition to the six Experience Mekong Collection Showcases, presented in partnership with Mahidol University International College, some of the Experience Mekong Collection members will exhibit their services in the Mekong Marketplace.

With MTF 2018, we don’t just want to attach a theme to the annual forum, but we want to live it. Senior travel executives from Ctrip.com, AirBnB, Air Asia, and Inle Heritage Myanmar will relate “Transformative Travel” to their respective industry sectors in inspiring 15-minute mini keynotes, before this year’s “Mekong Opportunities & Threats” session will focus on the relevant Plastic Pollution issue and invite anybody to join the discussion how the travel and tourism industry can reduce single-use plastic in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Single-use plastic is one of the biggest issues we face in today’s world, and the travel and tourism industry can do its part to help solve the problem.

The 2018 Mekong Tourism Forum tries to do its small part to raise awareness of the issue and make the event plastic free. For the second year in a row, MTF 2018 has designed a limited-edition refillable water bottle, as part of the MTF 2018 Plastic Free Kit.

Finally, eight thematic strategy workshops on topics such as food tourism, adventure tourism, wellness tourism, and more, will be conducted in eight ethnic community villages around Nakhon Phanom. By visiting and engaging with the local communities, the delegates will be able to interact with the local people, while the local people will be able to interact with visitors from all over the world. As such, MTF 2018 embraces the theme “Transforming Travel – Transforming Lives” by experimenting with a new conference theme of hosting the actual sessions together with the local communities in their ethnic villages, and have the local people participate and be part of the experience. That way, we believe the discussions can be enriched, and the experience be a memorable one

Two integrated programs enrich the overall MTF 2018 experience:
The inaugural “Mekong Mini Movie Festival” will kick-off with a half-day Film Destination Marketing Conference, discussing the power of destination promotion via film, video, and visual storytelling, including keynotes by Rob Holmes of award-winning GLP Films to a case study of Hangover 2 at the Lebua Hotel in Bangkok. Following, delegates will be asked to judge some of the most inspiring films of the ongoing Mekong Mini Movie campaign. The Mekong Minis Awards Ceremony will announce the first set of winners of the Mekong Mini Movie Festival, and in partnership with WWF will raise awareness of the endangered Mekong Dolphins, the mascot of the Mekong Mini Movie Festival.

For the second year, the Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST) program will showcase some of the most innovative travel startups, with the potential to disrupt traditional practices, and provide solutions to key issues the industry is facing. Besides the half-day MIST Travel Innovation Conference, one of the highlights will be presentations by the best startups coming out of the recent 2018 MIST semi-finals.

The Mekong Marketplace will showcase responsible travel operators from the Experience Mekong Collection, as well as feature the Blogger Matchup Lounge, as well as the MIST Startup Lounge.

Organised by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, the annual Mekong Tourism Forum gives stakeholders in the region, both public and private, a platform for joint discussions on the promotion and marketing of travel and tourism to and within the GMS countries – Cambodia, China’s Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

MTF was most recently held in Thailand in 2012 in the northern province of Chiang Rai. Last year, the Forum was held in June in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR.

More information about the 2018 MTF can be accessed at www.MekongTourismForum.org, and registration is free for travel and tourism professionals at

Chitose Airport, Hokkaido (Japan) – June 1, 2018 (travelindex) – Best Western Hotels & Resorts has opened a brand new upper-midscale hotel at New Chitose Airport, the gateway to the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Best Western Plus Hotel Fino Chitose, which is situated just 3.2 km from the airport terminal, welcomed its first guests on June 1, 2018. This brand new hotel offers guests a convenient base from which to explore Hokkaido’s top business and tourism destinations, including the vibrant city of Sapporo and the upmarket ski resort of Niseko.

It also becomes one of the closest internationally-branded hotels to New Chitose, Japan’s fifth busiest airport. This major air gateway, which handles more than 20 million passengers per year, now offers direct connections to and from major cities all across Asia and beyond, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur.

Best Western Plus Hotel Fino Chitose features 154 guestrooms, including a selection of Japanese-style family rooms for up to four guests. All rooms come equipped with facilities including flat-screen TVs and complimentary Wi-Fi. The hotel also features a 24-hour front desk, daily housekeeping and laundry, supported by Best Western’s world-famous service standards.

“We are delighted to welcome guests to Best Western Plus Hotel Fino Chitose, as we continue to expand our Japanese portfolio and provide world-class accommodation to guests across the country,” said Olivier Berrivin, Best Western’s Managing Director of International Operations – Asia. “With its dramatic landscapes, stunning scenery and fresh mountain air, Hokkaido is a fantastic destination for travelers seeking a break from the city.”

“Perfectly positioned on the doorstep of New Chitose Airport, this brand new hotel is suited to business and leisure travelers, including families. It will be ideal for guests who want to break up their journey to and from Hokkaido, or those seeking a convenient base for their activities on the island. I am confident that Best Western Plus Hotel Fino Chitose will prove extremely popular with all our guests,” Olivier added.

Hokkaido hosts a year-round calendar of events, including the famous Sapporo Snow Festival which attracts more than two million people each year. The nearby Niseko area is quickly developing a global reputation for its world-class winter sports, hot spring resorts, golf courses and other outdoor activities.

The opening of Best Western Plus Hotel Fino Chitose forms part of a focused expansion strategy for Best Western in Japan. Last year, the company launched exciting new hotels in Tokyo, Osaka and Yamagata Airport, and The Hotel Nagasaki became Japan’s – and Asia’s – first BW Premier Collection® by Best Western hotel. It also recently opened the 60-room Best Western Sapporo Odori-Koen in downtown Sapporo, just 50km away from the new hotel.

This expansion comes as Japan prepares to host a series of major international sporting events, including the 2020 Olympic Games and the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which will include matches staged in Sapporo.

In total, Best Western now operates a nationwide portfolio of 16 hotels all across Japan, from Hokkaido in the North to Okinawa in the South, making it one of the country’s largest international hotel operators.

About Best Western Hotels & Resorts:
Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 4,200* hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers 11 hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western®, Best Western Plus®, Best Western Premier®, Vīb®, GLō®, Executive Residency by Best Western®, BW Premier Collection®, and BW Signature CollectionSM by Best Western; as well as its recently launched franchise offerings: SureStay® Hotel by Best Western, SureStay Plus® Hotel by Best Western and SureStay CollectionSM by Best Western. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including 64 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award in 2017, Business Travel News® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands, and Best Western receiving seven consecutive Dynatrace® Best of the Web awards for its leading hotel website. Best Western has also won nine consecutive AAA®/CAA® Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brand’s commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAA/CAA’s nearly 58 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Best Western-branded hotels were top ranked in J.D. Power’s 2017 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study – ranking first in breakfast (food and beverage category) for midscale; and second in overall guest satisfaction. Over 32 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Harley-Davidson® provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google® Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.
– All Best Western and SureStay-branded hotels are independently owned and operated.
– Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.

Contact information:
Marketing Communications Department
Best Western Hotels and Resorts – Asia
Tel: +66 2 656 1260
Sirimanas Maungrod
Email: sirimanas.maungrod@bestwestern.com
Orapan Sornnuwat
Email: orapan.sornnuwat@bestwestern.com

Hong Kong – June 1, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Initiated and hosted by the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), the first ever World Summit for Deans of Independent Schools of Hospitality and Tourism was held at Hotel ICON on 27-29 May 2018. The Summit provided a unique platform for deans of 40 institutions from more than 20 countries and regions to discuss and define the future course of strategies for hospitality and tourism schools, and to share solutions to common issues in an effort to promote further growth of hospitality and tourism studies within comprehensive universities.

On 28 May, the Summit was opened with welcoming remarks by Professor Timothy W. Tong, PolyU President, and Professor Kaye Chon, SHTM Dean, Chair Professor and Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management. Dr Alison Lloyd, Director of Institutional Research and Planning Office and Director of International Affairs Office, PolyU, then gave a special presentation on the Matrix for Ranking of Hospitality and Tourism Schools.

Professor Tong said he was delighted that the Summit, organised entirely by over 60 SHTM students who focus on convention and event management, has collected all the best minds from worldwide. “This Summit serves as a platform for global academic leaders in hospitality and tourism education to share their experiences, thoughts, and exchange views on a wide range of issues relating to how we can do a better job in nurturing graduates for this industry.”

The Summit featured four meeting sessions on a broad range of topics:

Chaired by Professor Brian King, SHTM Associate Dean, the first session entitled Academic Programmes for Quality of Teaching and Learning included presentations by Dr Lea R. Dopson, Dean, Collins College of Hospitality Management, California State Polytechnic University, USA; Mr Jos van der Sterren, Dean, Academy for Tourism, NHTV Breda University of Applied Science, The Netherlands; and Professor Hsin-Wen Chang, Dean, College of Tourism, Chung Hua University, Taiwan.

Entitled Research Productivity and Administration, the second meeting session was chaired by Professor Haiyan Song, SHTM Associate Dean and Mr and Mrs Chan Chak Fu Professor in International Tourism. It featured Dr Florian Aubke, Dean of the Undergraduate School, Department of Tourism and Service Management, MODUL University Vienna, Austria; Professor Jigang Bao, Dean, School of Tourism Management, Sun Yat-Sen University, China; and Professor Dennis E. Reynolds, Dean, Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, University of Houston, USA.

Featuring Dr Lilibeth Aragon, Dean, College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines; Dr Chris Bottrill, Immediate Past Dean, Faculty of Global and Community Studies, Capilano University, Canada; and Professor Patrick J. Moreo, Dean, College of Hospitality & Tourism Leadership, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, USA, the third meeting session entitled Industry Partnerships and Student Development was chaired by Dr Tony Tse, SHTM Professor of Practice (Industry Partnerships).

Chaired by Dr Catherine Cheung, SHTM Associate Dean, and entitled Internationalisation and International Collaborations, the final meeting session featured Dr Ricard Santomà, Dean, School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi, Ramon Llull University, Spain; Ms Sandra Zubieta Zamudio, Dean, College of Hospitality Management, Tourism Administration and Gastronomy, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Peru; and Professor Lin Wang, Dean, HNU-ASU Joint International Tourism College, Hainan University, China.

Another highlight of the Summit was the Group Discussion Session entitled Top 3 Priority Strategies for Hospitality and Tourism Schools Collectively in the Next 10 Years chaired by Dean Kaye Chon. This session featured Dr Donald Farr, Director, Dedman School of Hospitality, Florida State University, USA; Professor Rhodri Thomas, Dean, School of Events, Tourism & Hospitality Management, Leeds Beckett University, UK; Dr Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan, Executive Dean, Faculty of Hospitality, Food and Leisure Management, Taylor’s University, Malaysia; and Professor Edieser Dela Santa, Dean, Asian Institute of Tourism, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines.

“Always an innovator, the SHTM considers it vital to provide a unique platform on which all deans of independent schools of hospitality and tourism can convene to discuss, explore and share their perspectives, insights and experiences with the aim of promoting further collaboration and advancing development in the higher education arena,” said Dean Chon. “Our School is proud to play a leading role in furthering such development through innovation.”

About PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management
For close to 40 years, PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management has refined a distinctive vision of hospitality and tourism education and become a world-leading hotel and tourism school. Rated No. 1 in the world in the “Hospitality and Tourism Management” category according to ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2017, placed No. 1 in the world in the “Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism” subject area by the CWUR Rankings by Subject 2017 and ranked among the top 3 “Hospitality and Leisure Management” institutions globally in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017 and 2018, the SHTM is a symbol of excellence in the field, exemplifying its motto of Leading Hospitality and Tourism.

With 75 academic staff drawing from 22 countries and regions, the School offers programmes at levels ranging from undergraduate degrees to doctoral degrees. In 2012, the SHTM was bestowed the McCool Breakthrough Award by the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (I-CHRIE) recognising its breakthrough in the form of its teaching and research hotel – Hotel ICON – the heart of the School’s innovative approach to hospitality and tourism education. A member of the UNWTO Knowledge Network, the SHTM is also the editorial home of Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism and Journal of China Tourism Research.

Bangkok (Thailand) – June 1, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., the joint venture partner of ICONSIAM as well as the owner and operator of prestige retail developments such as Siam Paragon and Siam Center, has just been presented the world’s most prestigious retail development award for the concept and “cutting-edge design” of its Siam Discovery retail destination by the world’s largest retail development association – the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).

In a dazzling awards ceremony organized in Las Vegas, USA, Siam Discovery rose to take the top spot from among hundreds of projects from around the world competing to be the winner of the ICSC’s VIVA Award.

The ICSC’s VIVA Awards are presented, annually, by an independent expert jury to “recognise the best-of-the-best in the world of retail development”.

Mrs. Chadatip Chutrakul, Chief Executive Officer of Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., said, “Siam Piwat’s strategy for growth is to do things in retail and retail development that have never been done before in Thailand or even the world. We are committed to being a thought-leader on the global stage through co-creation with retailers and other partners in our developments. It’s Thailand 4.0 in action, and it proves that Thai creativity and collaboration can take our country’s flag to the top, even on the world stage.”

Siam Discovery opened its doors to visitors in 1997. It underwent a Bht 4,000 million re-build and reopened in 2016 as Thailand’s largest lifestyle specialty store and ‘the biggest arena of lifestyle experiments’. During the past 2 years, Siam Discovery has swept 6 global awards from prestigious competitions in the world of retailing. Among them is the World Retail Awards part of the World Retail Congress Global Series – Store Design of the Year 2017, for being world’s best designed development. Siam Discovery was also chosen by the International Council of Shopping Centers to be the winners of the Gold Award – Design and Development Excellence Renovations/Expansions, for being Asia Pacific’s best designed development, as well as the Gold Award – Marketing, Positioning & Brand Awareness, for being the project with the best execution in marketing, positioning and brand awareness in Asia Pacific.

The judges of ICSC praised Siam Discovery for being transformative. “Siam Discovery is a highly imaginative project that gets away from individual stores and walls and into an immersive open experience. It is the first mall development that makes retail an experience as well as the spaces in between being exciting and stimulating. Siam Discovery brings the latest digital technology offerings to create an interactive and experiential retail environment”

“Siam Discovery is a game-changing, hybrid retail destination where products, services, and activities are brought together in a way that suits the lifestyle of Millennials. Products are grouped without the constraints of a particular brand or school of design, in a way that puts the needs of the customer at the centre. Millennials want to discover their own style while exploring new experiences with other people. Here, they can experiment and discover what they like and what expresses their own identity best,” Mrs. Chutrakul said.