Vietnam tourism to strengthen focus on Russian market

Russian tourists at the Cam Ranh International Airport in the central province of Khanh Hoa

Vietnam will strengthen tourism promotion in the Russian market which has maintained a growth of over 30 percent in the first eight months of this year, the Thoi bao Kinh te Saigon Onlinereported Thursday.

Nguyen Van Tuan, chief of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, was quoted as saying a variety of promotion activities will be launched targeting the Russian market, which is among Vietnamese tourism’s main markets along with Japan and South Korea.

Tourism authorities in several central provinces like Binh Thuan and Thua Thien – Hue along with the central city of Da Nang will attend the international trade fair for tourism, Leisure Moscow 2012, in Russia this September 19-22, the news website reported.

The authorities will join hands in promoting their tourism resources to Russian partners and media, it said.

Da Nang also plans to promote a project that would open a direct route from Moscow to the city to increase the number of tourists, it added.

At the moment, 13 flights are taking Russian tourists to destinations like Da Nang and the central resort town of Nha Trang every week, even though it is not the peak tourism season, Tuan said.

The number of Russian tourists to Vietnam in the first eight months equals that of the whole of last year at over 100,000, the news website reported.

The market has maintained a growth that is likely to be higher in the future compared to Europe and the US, where the numbers have decreased or increased slightly since the beginning of this year, Tuan said.

Tourism authorities expect to welcome 300,000 Russian tourists in 2014, the report said.


Source:  http://www.thanhniennews.com

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Seychelles tourism industry shows continued positive trends

The Seychelles tourism industry took an unfortunate knock when its national airline pulled out of its nonstop direct flights to Europe. But indicators from the Seychelles Ministry of Finance, Trade and Investment is today showing a very significant increase in the foreign exchange generated from the tourism sector, going up 3.1 % compared to the same period last year.

The news gets even better when one considers the reason for this success. As Seychelles draws near the end of the peak period of its tourism season, the number of visitor arrivals and the positive trend in the tourism industry has enabled the country to map out a clear picture of the general health within the industry.

At this point, the index is showing positive signs of progress, with a 6% growth compared to the same period in 2011. But the biggest threat to the continuing good performance of Seychelles tourism industry remains the chronic downturn of the European market, which is experiencing a progressive slowdown.

France and UK are both down by 20% and Italy 12%, respectively. At this point, renewed focus on new emerging markets might just be the industry’s solution for sustaining growth in the long term. China, South Africa, and United Arabs Emirates markets are the Seychelles emerging markets, and they are performing better than anticipated. Arrivals from the UAE are going up by 62%, China 121%, and South Africa by 15%.

The performance index of German visitors, the “engines” of the European Union, has increased by 23% with 17,183 total visitors compared to 14,011 in 2011. On the other spectrum, Russian tourists are on the rise by 55% with 9,092 visitors compared to 5,876 in 2011.

Các chỉ số tổng hợp của Cục Thống kê quốc gia là một dấu hiệu rõ ràng của việc thực hiện hiện tại và tương lai của các thị trường này sẽ tiếp tục trong năm 2012 bất chấp những trở ngại kinh tế đang diễn ra.


Source:  http://www.breakingtravelnews.com

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Call for international tourism industry to help save Scotland’s natural beauty

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) wants a moratorium on further development in key areas, particularly around the Munros and Corbetts which are the country’s highest peaks, and which are among Scotland’s greatest visitor attractions.

David Gibson, MCofS Chief Officer, said: “Scotland’s wild and beautiful mountains are famous worldwide and are one of the main reasons people love to visit our country. But right now they face the threat of industrialisation from large numbers of huge wind farms. And it’s not just the turbines, many of which are over 120 metres tall, but endless kilometres of wide, bulldozed service tracks and enormous electricity pylons.

“The Scottish Government is billing 2013 as the Year of Natural Scotland, but this will be nothing more than an empty slogan if our best and most dramatic scenery is spoiled. The good news is that it is not too late to act and we believe that if the world’s travel industry calls on the Scottish Government to protect the best of our mountain landscapes then it will listen.

“Our national tourism body, VisitScotland, proudly declares on the travel trade section of its website that ‘your clients can escape into the unspoilt wilderness … taking in our majestic but accessible mountains’. If wind farms are allowed in the wrong places then Scotland’s wilderness will be ruined, which will be a great loss not just to hikers and others who enjoy outdoor activities, but all those in search of natural beauty and tranquillity.”

RenewableUK figures show that Scotland has 160 onshore wind farms operational or under construction. Some 300 more are consented or in planning, and could result in over 5,000 turbines and their service roads – often in the mountains. More applications are made every month.

The MCofS is the representative organisation for Scotland’s mountaineers and hill walkers, with more than 11,000 members. It also acts for the 75,000 members of the British Mountaineering Council on matters related to the mountain landscape north of the border.

The recently-published MCofS manifesto calls on the Scottish Government to engage with other organisations to develop a national spatial renewables policy to make Scotland a leader in harmonising clean energy generation with landscape protection. It is supported by the Munro Society, the North East Mountain Trust, and the Cairngorms Campaign.

Mr Gibson added: “We are not opposed to wind farms; but we are in favour of conserving our mountains. The Scottish Government could give real meaning to the 2013 Year of Natural Scotland by working with those who care about the environment to create a clear policy on what will be permitted and where.”

Source: http://www.breakingtravelnews.com

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September holiday bookings surge after summer washout

Port de Soller, Mallorca. Spain is the most popular destination for Britons going away in September. 

Photograph: Look Die Bildagentur Der Fotogra/Alamy

September holiday bookings are booming due to the wet summer and the Olympics.

Britons are expected to make 5.7m trips abroad this month, a survey found.

Of these, around a quarter said they were taking late breaks as they did not want to miss the Olympics.

Nearly half (45%) said they did not take their usual summer break in the school holidays this year, and nearly a quarter (23%) revealed this would be the first time they had gone away in September.

The most popular destination for those getting away in September is Spain, with Egypt and Turkey among other popular spots.

Elvin Eldic from foreign exchange company Travelex, which carried out the survey, said: "It's clear that this is a great time of year to be heading away to catch some last-minute summer sun following one of the wettest summers on record."

Mandy Round, general manager of low-fare airline easyJet said: "The Olympics created a party atmosphere that lifted the spirits of the nation.

"As soon as the last race had been run and the Olympic torch extinguished, our holidays website saw an uplift in bookings in September – not just to beach destinations such as Majorca, Egypt and the Costa del Sol but also to city break destinations."

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk

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