Category: Latest Travel News

Bangkok (Thailand) – June 20, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce that the founding of the Twin Cities World Tourism Association (TCWTA) will take place during PATA Travel Mart 2018 (PTM 2018) in Langkawi, Malaysia from September 12-14.

PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy said, “PATA assists destinations around the world in the development of a responsible and sustainable tourism industry and it is only through cooperation and mutually beneficial partnerships that destinations can achieve such goals. The Twin Cities World Tourism Association’s mission is in line with our activities and PATA Travel Mart is the perfect occasion to launch this initiative.”

Twin cities, also known as sister cities, are collaborations between two cities to foster friendship and understanding between different cultures and to form strategic international business links between them.

The Twin Cities World Tourism Association aims to support and increase tourism and travel between twin cities, support and increase the exchange of ideas and concepts related to tourism and travel between sister cities, and enhance and strengthen relations between twin sisters through tourism and travel.

During PTM 2018, the founding president, Mr. Thomas Binder, Mayor of Gossau-Zurich in Switzerland, will formally announce the foundation of the Twin Cities World Tourism Association (TCWTA) at the Twin Cities World Tourism Forum taking place inside the exhibition hall.

Furthermore, a Board of 14 members will be appointed during this time. The Board will consist of 13 mayors from countries from all over the world while Mr. Hüseyin Baraner, being the only non-mayor member, will be appointed as its General Secretary. This Board will meet once a year in the city of the president to exchange ideas, concepts, and plans. A meeting of the Board will also be held in Zürich or Gossau at a later date in order to sign the charter of the Twin Cities World Tourism Association.

TCWTA also plans to publish a “Twin Cities Almanac” to be presented at ITB Berlin, which will include an editorial note of the president, reports on the tourism and travel activities of twin cities, and interviews with mayors of twin cities on topics like desiderata, plans, projects and the tourism development of twin cities.

The TCWTA President plans to visit a developing country in Africa or Asia once a year in order to research opportunities to take part in projects to further and support tourism and travel in twin cities located in regions without large financial funds.

For more information about PATA Travel Mart 2018, please visit www.PATA.org/ptm or email events@PATA.org.

About PATA
Founded in 1951, PATA is a not-for-profit membership association that acts a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its member organisations, comprising 98 government, state and city tourism bodies, 19 international airlines and airports, 91 hospitality organisations and 70 educational institutions, as well as over a hundred young tourism professional (YTP) members across the world. The PATA network also embraces the grassroots activism our 36 Chapters and 20 Student Chapters across the world. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 36 local PATA chapters worldwide, while hundreds of students are members of the 20 PATA student chapters globally. The chapters and student chapters organise travel industry training and business development events. Their grassroots activism underpins PATA’s membership in Uniting Travel, a coalition of the world’s major Travel & Tourism organisations dedicated to ensuring that the sector speaks with one voice and acts in unison on the major issues and includes ACI, CLIA, IATA, ICAO, WEF, UNWTO and the WTTC. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has official offices or representation in Beijing, Sydney and London. Visit www.PATA.org.

Contact information:
PATA
Paul Pruangkarn
Director – Communications & Marketing
communications@PATA.org
+66 (02) 658-2000
Bangkok, Thailand

Cairo (Egypt) – June 20, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Positive outlook for Egyptian Tourism in the second half of 2018 to 2019, local tour operator see increasing of foreign visitors for Egypt Western Desert tour and eco-tourism. Renowned for its rich in culture and history dated back 4,000 years of Pharaoh and Pyramids, Egypt country also has a lot more to offer – a paradise on earth and magic of Egypt Western Desert.

According to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), the country has received at least 730,000 tourists in February 2018, achieving a 35 percent increase compared to the same month last year.

The positive outlook of Egypt tourism is expected to continue into 2018, according to Loly Gamal, Founder of local “Egypt Western Desert Tours”, who estimated this year visitors will increase by approximately 20-30% for Egypt desert and eco-tourism. “We have seen increasing visitors from UK, Ukraine, Eastern Europe along with new markets from Asia; South Korea, China and Malaysia, since the last quarter of 2017. These foreign tourists, mostly and lately come as a group tour, are looking for more attractions to extend their holidays in Egypt after cultural and historic main sites visit of Cairo, Luxor or Aswan. With beautiful scenery and nature of Egypt Western Desert’s Black Desert, White Desert, Crystal Mountain, Bahariya Oasis, Sand dunes and Siwa Oasis, Egypt has also rich in its nature, adventure and eco-tourism.”

According to the latest Oxford Business Group (OBG)’s, the positive outlook for Egypt’s tourism is backed by the increase in visitors by 54% in 2017 to 8.3 million, while tourism receipts more than doubled to $7.6bn. Group travel jumped 66.5%, indicating resurgent interest from package tour operators, and the January-February period saw a 39% year-over-year increase in the number of tourists from the UK—another traditional source of arrivals.

“All visitors who experienced Egypt western desert have been impressed with stunning view of Sahara desert, golden sand dunes, campfire at night, local Egyptian and Bedouin food, swimming in hot spring, fun sand boarding etc. In the White desert, we can see fossil of seashell that prove the area was once be sea and watery area. With these amazing nature and different scenery of each area, plus professional desert tour service, we have welcomed several of repeated visitors,” said Loly.

About Egypt Western Desert Tours
With 21 years of experience, we come from one of the oldest Bedouin families who support us with all the secrets of the ancient and historical Western Desert. We are the best team and with the professional equipment and supplies in order to clients feel comfortable. The cars are all 4X4 and the drivers are professionals! So, QUALITY is the word that describes our tours and we will always do our best to continuing be the FIRST ONE in this field.

Bangkok (Thailand) – June 15, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Fitness Innovations (Thailand) Ltd. (FIT®), the organizer of the Asia Fitness Conference (AFC), announced today that the “Asia Fitness Conference 2018 (AFC 2018)” is expected to attract over 1,500 fitness professionals, enthusiasts, facility owners and managers, nutrition and other related professionals in the region to experience 3 days of cutting-edge education, networking and motivation. AFC, ‘Asia’s best fitness conference’, is to be held from 5-7 October 2018, at Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC), Bangkok.

Suzanne Hosley, Managing Director of Fitness Innovations (Thailand) Limited and the founder of AFC, said, “2018 will mark the 10th Anniversary of AFC, the largest and best regarded fitness conference in Asia. We continue to be committed to raising the bar by improving standards in the Asian fitness industry. Given this year’s theme of “Fuel Your Passion: Know More, Achieve More”, we are looking at fitness from a number of angles. There will be over 60 internationally recognized presenters who will share and lead 196 sessions in addition to 15 pre- and post- conference sessions. The largest fitness conference in all of Asia will offer full streams of education in sport conditioning, nutrition and weight management, personal training, Yoga, Pilates and Gyrokinesis, dance, injury prevention and rehabilitation, personal and business development and new equipment trends.”

During the 3 days of the conference, all participants will have chance to join and meet with renowned international presenters including, but not limited to Beth Shaw, an author and visionary as well as the founder and CEO of YogaFit Inc, the largest yoga fitness educational system in the world; Jenn Hall, a former professional dancer, who has performed with superstars like Beyoncé and Jay-Z,; Tony Stone, who has trained dancers for famous celebrities and superstars Britney Spears, INSYNC, Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez and Chris Brown. Awards and nominations include Best Choreographer, Best International Instructor/Presenter, Lifetime Achievement Award, and Best International

Presenter/Choreographer; Steve Cotter, one of Men’s Health Magazine’s “100 Fittest Men Of All-time”, who promotes body-mind fitness around the world through martial arts, qigong, mobility, flexibility and IKFF Kettlebell courses; and Ken Weichert (SGT Ken®), an award-winning international speaker and six-time US Army Soldier of the Year.

AFC 2018 will host a number of competitions during the 3-day Conference, including the AFC Personal Trainer of the Year, AFC Fitness Idol 2018, CWL Olympic Lifting, IPF Power Lifting, IKFF Kettlebell and the AFC 2018 Fit Games. Participants will have a chance to challenge themselves against the best, “fast-track” their careers and win excellent prizes.

“Fitness and sports are two of the fastest growing industries in Asia today. To add value as advisors to clients, fitness professionals must stay current with the latest science and application, training tools and techniques. They need to apply best practices to ensure clients’ health, fitness and performance. They need objective information, experienced advice and internationally recognized service standards to turn to. With innovative education and training and 9 years of successful events, we expect this year’s event and it’s co-located Asia Fitness Expo will bring over 4,000 visitors to Thailand which will help boost Thailand’s reputation as a leading fitness destination,” said Suzanne.

Asia Fitness Conference 2018 is supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (SAT) and the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB). For registration and more information about the event, please visit www.asiafitconference.com, call +662 650 9242 or email:afc@fitthai.com

About FIT
FIT is Southeast Asia’s first education and training center dedicated to developing world-class fitness professionals. We also raise awareness among fitness enthusiasts about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle through learning opportunities focusing on safe and effective fitness programs, mind-body, health and nutritional issues.

Fitness Innovations (Thailand) Ltd. (FIT) is committed to enriching quality of life and wellness of society, improving fitness and enhancing athletic performance through safe and effective exercise. We do so by enhancing the competencies of fitness professionals through our education, training and networking opportunities.

FIT now has fitness training and certification centres in: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and India, and has host sites in Taiwan, Vietnam, Myanmar and China.

Hong Kong (Hong Kong SAR) – June 15, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Ms. Pansy Ho, Chairman of Mazarine Asia Pacific, Founder and Chairman of Occasions PR & Marketing Ltd (Occasions), has been bestowed the Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur by the French President for her contribution in promoting French-Chinese trade, tourism, arts and cultural cooperation and exchange.

With a Hong Kong-Macau background, Ms. Ho is a passionate art and culture lover who embraces diversity and excellence. Aiming to forge links and bring unity between cities and nations, and build empathy and understanding among people, she aligns her business endeavors with her beliefs, and leverages her forward-thinking acumen to identify cross-discipline synergies. Over the years, Ms. Ho is an avid patron of art and cultural initiatives. Apart from her generous involvement in organizing Le French May, she brought prominent French art exhibitions like Biennial of the Lions, Edgar Degas: Figures in Motion and A Golden Way of Life – Très’Ors to Macau to make French art and culture more accessible to the Hong Kong and Macau communities. Since her appointment as Ambassador of the Louvre in China in 2012, Ms. Ho has been tireless in championing French art and culture. Ms. Ho is also dedicated to advocating French-Chinese trade and tourism. She founded the France Macau Chamber of Commerce in 2008 to network businesses across Macau, Hong Kong and France.

The Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), an initiative proposed by Ms. Ho, was inaugurated in 2012 as an annual tourism event. Showcasing France as a Partner Country of GTEF 2016, she successfully fostered French-Chinese public-private tourism cooperation and exchange, creating tourism promotion, investment and cooperation opportunities for tourism stakeholders.

Previously bestowed the honor of Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Merite in April 2009 in recognition of her commitment to diversity as a younger generation, Ms. Ho expressed her feeling about the latest honour, “To me, the significance of this award is much more than to honor a particular individual, but to salute the concept of service for common benefit…. This is a decoration the French President grants to me for acknowledging the humble role I play in my lifelong advocacy of French art and culture, and promotion of cultural exchange and economic development between France and China, Hong Kong and Macao.”

Describing the influence of French art and culture on her, Ms. Ho said, “Little did I know then that my childhood visits would evolve into a lifelong journey of promoting French art and culture, spanning my career path, different businesses and industry sectors, different regions, and for a multitude of good reasons….My experience with art and culture has been a journey of awakening, inspired by French art and culture as manifested in its arts and architecture, literature, cuisine and wine, fashion and style.”

Ms. Ho shared her final thoughts on receiving the honour, “Connecting people and nations, and promoting common development and peace, are enormous tasks that require individual and collaborative efforts. But, to me, there is no greater joy than being able to provide service for common benefit through the sharing of art and culture.”

The Order of the Légion d’Honneur was created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. It is the highest civilian award given by the French Republic for outstanding service to France.

About Mazarine Asia Pacific
A Sino-Franco joint venture established in 2014 between Mazarine Group Worldwide founded by Paul-Emmanuel Reiffers and Trimaran PR Asia co-founded by Pansy Ho and Michelle Cheng, Mazarine Asia Pacific is an integrated brand, creative and communications agency focused on helping corporate and consumer companies reach their communications and business objectives. Working with a wide range of companies, from private to public sector, global household names to independent entrepreneurs, Mazarine Asia Pacific delivers impactful campaigns by a team of talents admired for its professionalism, integrity and uncompromising commitment to creativity.

About Occasions PR
Founded in 1987 by Pansy Ho, Occasions PR is one of the first public relations agencies established in Hong Kong specializing in luxury lifestyle and consumer PR. For nearly 3 decades, Occasions PR has led the way, creating thousands of “must-attend” events, headline news, fondest memories and long-celebrated milestones for the Hong Kong social scenes and luxury retail world. Leveraging on its exclusive database of the movers and shakers in town and its personal relationships with the social elites who appreciate and understand luxury lifestyle, Occasions PR creates highly impactful campaigns that puts its luxury brand clients and products on the “most-wanted” goods.

For enquiries, please contact:
Mazarine Asia Pacific
Esther Chan
Director, Corporate Communications
Email: esther.chan@mazarineap.com
T: 3678 0109 or M: 9863 2950
Occasions PR & Marketing Ltd
Elaine Chang
Account Associate
Email: elaine@occhk.com
T:2523 3325 or M: 6438 6322

Nakhon Phanom (Thailand) – June 15, 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 North-eastern Thailand boosts Thai, Lao, and Vietnamese cultural influence, important Buddhist sites, as well as modern infrastructure and convenient road and air connectivity.

H.E. Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat, Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Royal Kingdom of Thailand said:” We have chosen Nakhon Phanom as the host province for MTF 2018 because we at the Ministry feel that Nakhon Phanom is the centre and hub of tourism in the GMS countries.”

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”.

Jens Thraenhart, Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) said:” Tourism can be an important catalyst in changing people’s lives for the better through mutual understanding. Transformative Travel can also drive change in the way we behave in combatting serious issues, such as over-tourism, inclusive growth, and plastic pollution, amongst others.”

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.

H.E. Mr. Pongpanu Svetrundra, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports said: “Thailand is ready to be a leader in Buddhist Tourism in ASEAN and South Asia, and we are looking to propose the creation of the ASEAN-South Asia Buddhist Tourism Story Book project, in collaboration with member countries.”

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.

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

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 MekongTourism.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.

For further information please contact:
Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office
Executive Director
Mr. Jens Thraenhart
(jens@mekongtourism.org)
Media Coordinator
Mr. Luc Citrinot
(lcitrinot@gmail.com)

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