Category: Latest Travel News

Bangkok (Thailand) – September 17, 2017 (travelindex) – Following an extensive redesign and refurbishment, Plaza Athénée Bangkok, A Royal Méridien Hotel will be unveiled on 6 October 2017 as The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok. Now featuring a blend of contemporary and authentic Thai design elements, the opulent hotel will provide discerning travelers with a new experience in luxury and style.

Re-imagined to define the destination’s history, culture and location, The Athenee Hotel’s transformation was inspired by Princess Valaya Alongkorn, daughter of Chulalongkorn, King Rama V (1853 – 1910) and the aunt of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX. The princess lived during an extraordinary period of Thai history; a time of modernization, social reforms and Western influence through architecture, fashion and etiquette.

The iconic hotel, which stands in the grounds of her former royal residence, will welcome guests with a grand staircase, sparkling chandeliers, and an engaging blend of Thai and European design style that is imbued with the spirit of Princess Valaya Alongkorn.

The refurbished 374 accommodations at The Athenee Hotel will incorporate elements of local culture and royal heritage. Classic furniture, a sophisticated palette of white, grey and maroon, and elegant Thai motifs on fabrics will be enriched by the renowned Luxury Collection bed, contemporary comforts such as an illy espresso capsule machine, and the latest wired and wireless technology. The Royal Club floor suites have also been redecorated using royal blue and grey.

“We are thrilled that we will soon be unveiling the The Athenee Hotel and inviting guests to immerse themselves in unrivalled levels of luxury and refinement,” says ChooLeng Goh, General Manager. “Combining the best of contemporary refinements with a distinct sense of place, The Athenee Hotel is set to become one of the most prestigious addresses in this intriguing city.”

In addition to the refurbished guestrooms and suites, The Athenee Hotel project includes a refreshed design and layout of The Rain Tree Café with the addition of the period-styled Valaya Room, where guests can enjoy a leisurely breakfast or private gathering, The Secret Garden and The Bakery.

The Athenee Hotel outdoor pool area and function space on the 4th floor have also been redesigned as a tranquil oasis in the heart of downtown Bangkok. Located on the 6th floor, the multi-functional Atheneum Meeting Rooms and Lounge will also provide the perfect venue for stimulating business events and memorable social gatherings, enhanced by themed coffee break with cuisine inspired by the Princess Valaya Alongkorn’s global travel.

The Athenee Hotel holds the distinction of being the first hotel in the world to achieve ISO 20121 certification for planning and delivering sustainable events.

About The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts
The Luxury Collection, part of Marriott International, Inc., is comprised of world-renowned hotels and resorts offering unique, authentic experiences that evoke lasting, treasured memories. For the global explorer, The Luxury Collection offers a gateway to the world’s most exciting and desirable destinations. Each hotel and resort is a unique and cherished expression of its location; a portal to the destination’s indigenous charms and treasures. Originated in 1906 under the CIGA® brand as a collection of Europe’s most celebrated and iconic properties, today The Luxury Collection brand is a glittering ensemble, recently surpassing 100 of the world’s finest hotels and resorts in more than 30 countries and territories. All of these hotels, many of them centuries old, are internationally recognized as being among the world’s finest. For more information and new openings, visit theluxurycollection.com or follow Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The Luxury Collection is proud to participate in the industry’s award-winning loyalty program, Starwood Preferred Guest®. Members can now link accounts with Marriott Rewards®, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® at members.marriott.com for instant elite status matching and unlimited points transfer.

Contact information:
Virinya Maytheepattanachat
Director of Marketing Communications
Email: virinya.maytheepattanachat@lemeridien.com
Tel: +66 2650 8800 ext. 4047
Tipawan Jitman
Marketing Communications Manager
Email: tipawan.jitman@lemeridien.com
Tel: +66 2650 8800 ext. 6243
Wilasinee Wichienrut
PR Executive
Email: pr.bangkok@lemeridien.com
Tel: +66 2650 8800 ext. 6250

Hong Kong – September 17, 2017 (travelindex.com) – Harvey Law Group (HLG) is delighted to be named “Immigration Law Firm of the Year 2017” at the annual Macallan Asian Legal Business (ALB) Hong Kong Law Awards held at the Conrad on September 8, 2017, and presented by Thomson Reuters.

“We are honoured to be recognized as the leading immigration law firm in Hong Kong by ALB and thank our clients for their ongoing trust, confidence, and support in HLG which has helped make such a recognition possible. This award is a testament to the tremendous dedication and talent of our team, our continuing commitment to providing unparalleled service to our clients, as well as the firm’s reputation of excellence throughout the region. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the finalists, namely Oldham, Li & Nie, Lewis Silkin, as well as Baker McKenzie.” said Jean-François Harvey, Founder and Global Managing Partner of HLG.

The prestigious Macallan ALB Hong Kong Law Awards, now in its 16th year, pays tribute to the outstanding performance of leading private practitioners and in-house teams who have made significant contributions to evolving legal landscape of Hong Kong and the region. Award winners are chosen by an independent judging panel of at least 30 senior and expert legal industry leaders who extensively assess finalists through a rigorous selection process, ensuring that award recipients are among the best in their field.

About Harvey Law Group
Founded in 1992 by Jean-François Harvey, the firm has maintained a strong presence throughout Asia, South America, and the Middle East since its early beginnings. Today, it has evolved into a leading multinational immigration and business law firm, providing sophisticated legal representation to businesses and individuals with regards to global immigration and tax strategies in multiple jurisdictions. HLG notably has offices in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hanoi, Xiamen, Phnom Penh, Yangon, Manila, Montreal, Miami, Paris, St. Kitts & Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada and Dominica.

Madrid (Spain) – September 11, 2017 (travelindex.com) – UNWTO is deeply saddened by the tragic effects brought by hurricane Irma across the Caribbean.

“On behalf of the international tourism community, UNWTO conveys its heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims and stands ready to support the affected countries, where tourism is a pillar in the lives of so many people, to recover as swiftly as possible” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

“UNWTO will work alongside the affected countries in all the necessary measures to support them and trust that as in previous occasion the people of these countries will show their resilience as life gets back to normal and they open for business” added Mr Rifai.

UNWTO is conveying a special meeting to address the impacts of hurricane Irma and the way forward on the occasion of its 22nd General Assembly taking place next week in China. The Assembly is expected to gather over 1000 participants from around the world.

Madrid (Spain) – September 8, 2017 (travelindex.com) -Destinations worldwide welcomed 598 million international tourists in the first six months of 2017, some 36 million more than in the same period of 2016. At 6%, growth was well above the trend of recent years, making the current January-June period the strongest half-year since 2010.

Visitor numbers reported by destinations around the world reflect strong demand for international travel in the first half of 2017, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Worldwide, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) increased by 6% compared to the same six-month period last year, well above the sustained and consistent trend of 4% or higher growth since 2010. This represents the strongest half-year in seven years.

Results are underpinned by robust growth in many destinations and a continuation of the recovery in those that suffered declines in previous years. Of UNWTO regions, growth was strongest in the Middle East (+9%), Europe (+8%) and Africa (+8%), followed by Asia and the Pacific (+6%) and the Americas (+3%).

The first half of the year usually accounts for about 46% of total annual international arrivals, with the second half longer by three days and including the Northern Hemisphere high season months of July and August.

Growth was strongest in the Middle East (+9%), Europe (+8%) and Africa (+8%), followed by Asia and the Pacific (+6%) and the Americas (+3%).

“The first half of 2017 shows healthy growth in an increasingly dynamic and resilient tourism market, including a strong recovery in some of the destinations impacted by security challenges last year”, said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai ahead of the 22nd session of the UNWTO General Assembly, to be held in Chengdu, China on 13-16 September 2017.

“As explained in my article ‘Tourism: growth is not the enemy; it’s how we manage it that counts’, international travel creates jobs, economic growth and development opportunities for many communities around the world. But this source of prosperity needs to be managed efficiently, for the good of visitors and host communities alike. This year we celebrate the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development (IY2017) to remind destinations and travellers that we must work for a sustainable tourism sector that protects the environment, preserves the cultural heritage of destinations, and fosters respect for local communities everywhere,” Rifai added.

Mediterranean Destinations Lead Growth
Mediterranean destinations reported particularly strong growth in the first half of 2017, as reflected in the results for Southern and Mediterranean Europe (+12%), North Africa (+16%) and the Middle East (+9%). This trend is driven by the continued strength of many destinations in the area, combined with a significant rebound in destinations that suffered decreases in previous years, such as Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia.

Furthermore, international tourist arrivals through June grew 8% in Northern Europe, 6% in Western Europe and 4% in Central and Eastern Europe. Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 4% more arrivals.

Results are underpinned by robust growth in many destinations and a continuation of the recovery in those that suffered declines in previous years.

South Asia (+12%) led growth in Asia and the Pacific, followed by Oceania (+8%) and South-East Asia (+7%), while results in North-East Asia (+4%) were more mixed.

The Americas continued to enjoy positive results across most destinations. Growth was solid in South America (+6%), Central America (+5%) and the Caribbean (+4%). In North America (+2%), robust results for Mexico and Canada were partly offset by a decrease in arrivals to the United States, the region’s largest destination.

Arrivals growth in this period was fuelled by strong outbound demand from major source markets. In particular, Canada, China, France, the Republic of Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States continued to report solid growth in outbound expenditure. This first half-year also saw a strong recovery in demand from Brazil and the Russian Federation after a few years of declines in terms of expenditure abroad.

Contacts:
UNWTO Media Officer
Rut Gomez Sobrino
rgomez@unwto.org
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60
UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme
comm@UNWTO.org
Fax: +34 91 567 8218
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100

Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) – September 14, 2017 (travelindex) – Starting with all Centro Hotels in Saudi Arabia, Rotana will implement xnPOS, the enterprise Point of Sale system from Xn protel Systems. It will be hosted on Rotana’s private cloud in Abu Dhabi, enabling the company to centralize its Point of Sale operations. xnPOS will then be extended to new hotel openings.

Global hospitality management software company Xn protel Systems today announced Rotana Hotel Management Corporation is implementing xnPOS in its Centro Hotels in Saudi Arabia. The system will be hosted at Rotana’s data center in Abu Dhabi to provide centralized Point of Sale operations. xnPOS will then be deployed to new hotel openings. In addition, Rotana Hotels is also using myHotel and myDining by Neorcha, a Xn protel partner.

Rotana Hotel Management Corporation (Rotana) was founded in 1992, it opened its first property, the Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi, in 1993 and is today one of the leading hotel management companies in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey. Rotana’s aggressive expansion plans are seeing the company grow from two properties in 1993 to a total of 100 by 2020. Rotana has a number of new projects in the pipeline, confirming the company’s intention to have a Rotana managed property in all the major cities throughout the region within the next three years.

xnPOS provides comprehensive functionality and scalability that meets the needs of hotel F&B, table service restaurants and hospitality foodservice operations. The product is proven in a wide spectrum of F&B operations in some 50 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. The pedigree and range of international customers endorses the system’s flexibility, functionality, language capability and simplicity of use. xnPOS provides proven workflow advantages to manage guest check transactions, order-entry operations and remote kitchen/bar orders, while also providing seamless integration with hotel PMS, Loyalty/CRM and ERP systems. xnPOS has established interfaces to Oracle Hospitality’s Opera PMS and protel hotelsoftware’s on-premise and cloud PMS solutions, with HTNG based interfaces to other leading PMS products in development.

Samir Abi Frem, Corporate Vice President of IT, Rotana Hotel Management Corporation, said: “Using a robust, reliable and feature-rich POS system from Xn protel helps us provide POS as a service from Rotana Private Cloud to all Centro Hotels in KSA. Xn protel’s dedicated and professional service team successfully customized and integrated their solution with our centralized IT services platform in order to deliver all the required system features that can best serve the needs of our customers.”

Emmanuel Clavé, VP Gulf Countries and India, Xn protel Systems comments: “We are looking forward to working closely with Rotana Hotels to integrate our solutions into their ecosystem, to provide flexible, open products that support ever changing industry needs.”

About Xn protel Systems
Xn protel Systems is a global hospitality management software company specializing in property management, central reservations, point of sale and activity management solutions. Our business-critical, highly functional, cloud-native and open systems provide the latest technology and flexibility. They help world-class hospitality companies in over 50 countries to optimize revenue generation, simplify service operations and enhance the quality of guest communications.

We are committed to:
– Creating open systems. Working closely with our customers and partners we adopt industry standard protocols to break down traditional integration barriers. Creating truly open, flexible solutions that support guests” growing appetite to be more in control of their stay.
– Developing cloud-native products. Our newest technologies are born in the cloud. That means our customers benefit from the latest innovations, can take full advantage of mobile and achieve a lower cost of ownership.
– Being easy to do business with. We understand the frustration that comes with unresponsive and inflexible suppliers. We”re not like that. And we don”t take our customers for granted. A customer-centric approach is in our DNA, from preparing quotations through to resolving support calls.

Our next generation, global solutions are backed by outstanding customer service and support. Our dedicated team of highly experienced hotel, hospitality and technology experts work hard to understand customers” needs and the issues they face. Located across our extensive network of offices, our specialists provide the best advice, solutions and support to make sure customers meet the needs of local markets and achieve their business goals.

The Company was formed in the UK in 2002, as Xn Hotel Systems. It was then renamed in 2015 as Xn protel Systems when protel hotelsoftware became a shareholder.

Contact information:
Terry Osborne
Head of Marketing
Email: terry.osborne@xnprotel.com
Web: www.xnprotel.com

Macao (Macao SAR) – September 12, 2017 (travelindex.com) – Multiple preparations are underway for Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart 2017 to be held in Macao from 13th to 15th September. Hosted by Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), PATA Travel Mart is one of Asia Pacific’s premier travel trade shows attracting tourism officials and professionals from tourist destinations in the Asia Pacific region and beyond to Macao.

PATA Travel Mart 2017 will be the first major international tourism event to be staged in Macao following the havoc Typhoon Hato caused to the city on 23rd August, the worst recorded in Macao for 53 years. Following the efforts and support on all fronts to bring the city back to normal, Macao is ready to warmly welcome more than 1,000 PATA Travel Mart (PTM) delegates from over 60 destinations this month.

PTM marking 40th anniversary in Macao

Marking its 40th edition this year, PTM includes two full days of business sessions at Hall D of Cotai Expo, The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel on 14th and 15th September. With PTM putting the host destination in the limelight each year, MGTO is exhibiting in the trade show with a booth measuring a significant 517.5 square metres to promote Macao’s many tourism attractions. A total of 26 Macao tourism operators will promote their businesses from the booth, including hotels, travel agencies and transport companies, among others.

With Macao welcoming delegates from around the world to PTM, MGTO will also take the opportunity to promote in its booth the attractions of the Mainland regions among the Maritime Silk Road Alliance. In addition – joined by Guangdong and Hong Kong tourism authorities – the three neighbouring regions will promote multi-destination tourism at the travel show with a joint booth and luncheon for delegates.

Hot tourism topics and trends discussed at related events

Another distinctive feature of PATA Travel Mart is its related educational events for the travel trade and future tourism professionals. On 13th September, the Institute for Tourism Studies will host PATA Youth Symposium 2017, bringing together local and international tourism students from PATA Student Chapters to discuss ‘Enabling Travel and Managing a Complex Future’. One of the speakers to share his experience with the students will be AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandes.

PTM Forum will run concurrently at The Parisian Macao, with the morning session themed ‘Travolution Forum Asia: Redefining the Travel Experience’, organized in partnership with Travel Weekly Group, focusing on smart digital travel; namely, strategies, business models and current technologies. The afternoon session will present a Blogger and Key Opinion Leader Forum, to debate ‘The Most Effective Influencer Marketing Strategies in Travel in 2017’, brought by the Professional Travel Bloggers Association. In addition, several themed PTM Talks are scheduled during the travel mart.

Other highlights of PTM include the PATA Gold Awards Luncheon and Presentation on 15th September. This year, among the 31 winning tourism entities of the 2017 PATA Gold Awards, three are from Macao – namely, Sands China Ltd., winning two PATA Gold Awards (in the categories of Environment – Corporate Environmental Programme and Marketing Media – Travel Advertising Broadcast Media), and Melco Resorts & Entertainment (winner of the PATA Gold Award for Marketing – Hospitality).

Internal PATA meetings extended throughout weekend

From 15th to 17th September, PATA will also conduct a series of internal meetings in Macao. The PATA Executive Board and Board Meeting will meet at Studio City, with MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes currently serving as an Executive Board member of the Association. Various committees of PATA will also meet, while PATA Chapters will be brought together in a PATA Chapter Colloquium, among other initiatives.

Founded in 1951, PATA is a non-profit membership association dedicated to the responsible development of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry, with its members comprising government, state and city tourism bodies, international airlines, airports and cruise lines, educational institutions, and hundreds of travel industry companies in Asia Pacific and beyond.

Macao has been a PATA member since 1958. For decades, PATA has been a valuable platform for Macao to promote its tourism image and connect local travel trade stakeholders to the world. The city successfully hosted PATA Travel Mart 2010 and the then called PATA Annual Conference in 2005.

For more information about the PATA Travel Mart 2017 programme, please visit www.pata.org/ptm.

Bangkok (Thailand) – September 9, 2017 (travelindex) – The Embassy of the Republic of India in collaboration with the Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok will host the “Uttar Pradesh Food Festival” from 11 – 16 September. The largest Indian food festival of the year celebrates the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Thailand. The regional Mughlai cuisine is being created by 5-star chefs at the multi-award winning Rang Mahal, the best Indian restaurant in Thailand.

The “Uttar Pradesh Food Festival” presents authentic cuisine from the Mughal era. Uttar Pradesh is well known for its cuisine which was introduced into India during the medieval period by the great Mughal kings. Mughlai cuisine varies from mild to spicy and is often associated with the distinctive aromas and tastes of eight ground spices. This festival will take you to a medieval period where kings used to treat their palace guests with mouth-watering delicacies, kebab meats and exotic curries.

This biggest Indian food festival will bring Chef Santosh Kumar and Chef Sanjib Bandyopadhyay from the central region of the Indian sub-continent together with Chef Rajan Misra, master chef of Rang Mahal to create a Mughlai buffet of main dishes and accompaniments. THB 500++ for set lunch and THB 990 ++ for buffet dinner.

The Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok general manager, Mr Eric Hallin, said “We are honored to be joining with the Embassy of the Republic of India to organize the largest Indian Food Festival of the Year to celebrate 70 years of good relations between India and Thailand. We are ready to welcome Thai diners to experience Mughlai cuisine at Rang Mahal, the internationally recognised 23-year-old Indian restaurant. We are confident that this Indian food festival will create an unforgettable gourmet experience”.

Join us for six days of culinary delights coupled with live music, traditional beverages and scenic views of Bangkok at Rang Mahal located on level 26, The Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 18, Bangkok. Open daily from 6.00 – 11.00 pm. For reservation or more information please contact 02 261 7100 or click
www.rembrandtbkk.com/restaurants/

About The Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok
The Rembrandt Hotel is centrally located in the heart of Bangkok off Sukhumvit Road. Guests may access our hotel either from Sukhumvit Soi 18 or Sukhumvit Soi 20 as our property extends the length of the block. We offer luxury, outstanding services, and facilities for all travelers to Bangkok, Thailand. The property is conveniently located near the central business district as well as shopping attractions, city landmarks and vibrant nightlife. Our guests also have the benefit of all major public transportation stations in Bangkok as both skytrain (BTS Asoke Station) and metro (MRT Sukhumvit Station) are just a short 5-minute walk from the hotel or guests may ride a complimentary 24-hour ‘tuk tuk’ shuttle service to the main road. This quality hotel is a great location for both tourists and business travelers, who will find easy access to Sukhumvit and the Bangkok CBD.

Contact information:
Paemika Mungclasiri (Ms.) – Marketing Communications Manager
Phone +66 (0) 2261 7100 Ext. 7443 E-mail: pr@rembrandtbkk.com
Sirorat Jaroontham (Ms.) – Marketing Communications Executive
Phone +66 (0) 2261 7100 Ext. 7444 E-mail: pr@rembrandtbkk.com

Koh Samui (Thailand) – September 7, 2017 (travelindex.com) – On the occasion of 120th Anniversary, Ko Samui, Surat Thani, Tourism Authority of Thailand welcome everyone to witness an attempt of the newest Guinness World Record for The Largest Buffet. In this event, we gathered chefs from all over Thailand to cook the world largest buffet which will be the newest record for Thailand and its chefs. This event will be a big underline to point out how great Thai foods are.

The Guinness World Record attempt for Largest Buffet will be taking place on September 9th 2017 at Chaweng Beach, Bo Phut Sub-district, Ko Samui District, Surat Thani, 05.00 p.m.

Aside from the record attempt, you can also enjoy other activities in Samui Festival. The festival is packed with various activities from dawn to dusk; for example, running event, cycling event, boxing, local product exhibition, selected food, cultural performance, contemporary art, music performance, and many more.
Samui Festival will be held on September 7th-11th 2017 at Nathon Beach, Chaweng Beach and Bo Phut Sub-district.

For more information, please call: 1672

Chiang Mai (Thailand) – September 6, 2017 (travelindex.com) – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has pledged to make the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) in Chiang Mai an organisational success, especially the TRAVEX buyer-seller part, where millions of dollars of business is transacted annually.

Demand for Southeast Asian tourism products is growing at 10% a year according to the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), making ASEAN the fastest growing tourism region in the world.

TRAVEX is the engine room driving much of ASEAN’s tourism success story, said Mr Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor. “That’s why we are calling out to exhibitors to book their space, and for buyers to come and showcase the best of Southeast Asia to the world.”

ATF takes place at the Chiang Mai International Exhibition and Convention Centre (CMECC) 22-26 January, 2018, with travel industry buyers conducting business on the floor of TRAVEX 24-26 January.

Based on its experience organising the Thailand Travel Mart (TTM), TAT undoubtedly has the marketing reach and buyer-handling discipline to make TRAVEX work smoothly for ASEAN, said Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, Ms Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, who is current Chair of the ASEAN Tourism Ministers grouping.

While TAT is organising TRAVEX, make no mistake, this is an ASEAN show with leading tourism products from all 10 ASEAN member states – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam, said the Minister.

Hosted and non-hosted travel industry buyers will have to meet rigorous criteria: be experienced in the tourism or travel business, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region; be a senior decision maker or consultant, negotiator and influencer from an outbound department with high-level responsibilities; have purchase authority to contract with ATF suppliers and make purchasing decisions on the show floor; have a history of organising outbound groups and events to multiple destinations; be able to show a history of continuous travel purchases; and be able to demonstrate that they regularly work with travel suppliers in the leisure travel or MICE sectors.

To join the ATF Travex 2018, please visit www.atfthailand2018.com

ATF Facts at a Glance
Around 47% of ATF buyers come from Europe, 15% from the Asia Pacific, 9% from the Americas, 4% from Oceania, and 3% from the Middle East.

At the ATF 2017 in Singapore, there were 660 exhibitors, 13,000 scheduled buyer-seller appointments, and over 2,500 attendees.

In 2017, 36% of exhibitors were accommodation businesses, 25% travel agents or tour operators, 17% NTOs or convention and visitor bureaus, 8.5% travel technology firms, and 3% were in the transport sector.

ATF in Chiang Mai 2018 will be the 37th incarnation of the show and the sixth time it has been held in Thailand.

The theme for 2018 will be: ASEAN – Sustainable Connectivity, Boundless Prosperity.

ASEAN is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary with a Visit ASEAN@50 Golden Celebration campaign that aims to raise international tourism arrivals to the region from 109 million in 2015 to 121 million by year end 2017.

For a complete resource on travel and tourism in ASEAN, go to: VisitASEAN.org

Chengdu (China) – September 6, 2017 (travelindex.com) – A unique opportunity to get the sector united towards the common goal of making tourism a true driver of sustainable development.” This is how the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, described the forthcoming UNWTO General Assembly. The bi-annual event, which takes place in Chengdu, China on 11-16 September, will discuss how to advance the contribution of tourism to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and define the actions of the Organization for the period 2018-2019.

A high-level debate on tourism and the SDGs, a special session on smart tourism, the celebrations of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017, the conversion of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics into an international Convention and current trends of the tourism sector are all integrated into the agenda of the 22nd session of the UNWTO General Assembly. The Assembly will also discuss the lines of action and key priorities of the Organization for the two coming years.

“This General Assembly gives us a unique opportunity to take key decisions that will guide us towards making a strong contribution to the future of people and planet,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai. “The UNWTO General Assembly constitutes the most relevant meeting of global tourism leaders and therefore we should capitalize on this occasion. Tourism is at a crossroads. This Assembly is our opportunity to strengthen our sector in view of the changes it faces.” he added.

A high-level debate on tourism and the SDGs, a special session on smart tourism and the celebrations of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 are all integrated into the agenda of the UNWTO General Assembly.

“Tourism is at a crossroads. This Assembly is our opportunity to strengthen our sector in view of the changes it faces.”UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai

This 22nd session of the General Assembly is the second hosted in China and the fourth in Asia and the Pacific. “China is not only the world’s fourth most-visited country and the first outbound market in the world; it is also an example of a country prioritizing tourism as a driver for development. The efforts of Chinese authorities to define tourism as a strategic pillar of the national economy and an effective development tool make China a fitting host for this UNWTO General Assembly, said Rifai.

Contacts:
UNWTO Media Officer
Rut Gomez Sobrino
rgomez@unwto.org
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60
UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme
comm@UNWTO.org
Fax: +34 91 567 8218
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100