Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko temples in Central Java will be reopened for tourists in June after the popular tourists destinations were closed for the past three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We plan to reopen the temples on June 8,” said Edy Setijono, director of PT Taman Wisata Candi (TWC) Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko, as quoted by kompas.com.
He said the reopening of the temples would comply with the COVID-19 protocols suggested by the government, in particular by the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry.
“When the temples are reopened, they will be run in accordance with the 'new normal' tourism,” Edy said.
He said that the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry had recommended tourist destinations implement a “cleanliness, health and safety” (CHS) program.
“This program is crucial as the pandemic has changed our habits. The public now cares more about cleanliness, health and safety, including in tourism,” he said.
In compliance with the protocols, the management of the temples will require visitors to wear face masks and go through temperature check posts. They will also be required to practice physical distancing.
“We will provide hand washing stations every 100 meters as well as signage and information boards explaining the COVID-19 protocols,” Edy said.
To reduce interactions between visitors and staff, the management will use cashless ticketing.
Indonesia's tropical holiday island of Bali could reopen to tourists in October, thanks to its success in controlling the coronavirus outbreak, the government said on Friday.
As of Friday, Bali had reported 343 coronavirus cases and four deaths, a much lower fatality rate compared with 16,496 cases and 1,076 deaths in the whole archipelago.
If the infection curve continued to improve, the tourism ministry is looking to revitalize destinations and do promotional work for some parts of the country, including Bali, between June and October, Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani, secretary of the ministry, said in the statement.
Partial reopening of those areas, which also include the city of Yogyakarta and Riau islands province, may begin in October, she said.
Bali's economy depends largely on visitors. Its gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 1.14 percent on-year in January-March, compared with a 2.97 percent GDP expansion nationally.
Foreign tourist arrivals into Indonesia plunged more than 60 percent in March, compared to the year-earlier month, with Chinese arrivals sliding more than 97 percent
International Airport to re-open from the morning of Saturday, May 16, less than two days away. Two days ago officials from the local provincial hall participated in an inspection of all the changes and preparations made to cater for passenger travel in the Covid era.
The Phuket International Airport is one of the last major airports to re-open to passenger traffic and commercial flights. The CAAT ordered the airport closed on April 3 to restrict air travel as health authorities nationwide battled to contain the spread of the virus at the time.
The order says that people arriving in Phuket from other provinces will be required to fill in an a form describing their travel history, particularly recently and information about where they are staying whilst on the island. At this stage the opening of the airport is only to limited domestic flights.
“All people leaving the island must register their health condition on the AOT Airports app.”
A ban remains in force for international flights at least until May 31 and a possibility that it could be extended another 15 days.
For land departures there has been a requirement for Phuket people, arriving in some provinces, to adhere to a 14 day quarantine. This order from the CAAT does not mention that requirement. We will post more information when it becomes available.
Currently land departures are required to have a fit-to-travel document saying that they have been in self-quarantine for 14 days before their date of travel. That has not been specified for air travel at this stage.
3 airlines have already notified the PIA of their plans to resume limited domestic passenger services in and out of Phuket, at one flight a day, according to the governor. Other domestic airports have been opened up around the country for limited services.
Provincial authorities also agreed yesterday to ask the Interior Ministry to allow reopening of all sea and road links from Saturday. No approval has been given at this stage.
The first flight we could see that was available for booking was a 9.30am flight on Monday morning with Air Asia from Phuket (HKT) to Don Mueang in Bangkok (DMK) for the princely sum of 4,686 baht.
Aircraft are also requiring specific seating to avoid people sitting next to each other and an insistence that passengers must wear masks. There is also no food and beverage services allowed on domestic services at this stage and travelers are urged to arrive at the airport 3 hours before their flight for additional check in procedures.
Opera singer and producer Niall Morris has found himself stranded in Bangkok with his husband Woody during the coronavirus pandemic
Back in 2010, along with my friend Terry from London, I visited Thailand purely by chance. We were on a winter holiday in Penang, Malaysia where Terry was less than impressed with the weather.
“Darling, it’s cloudy again,” he said one morning, in his disapproving Princess Margaret voice. “I can’t possibly go back to London without a tan to annoy my work colleagues.”
“It’s 35°C and sunny in Thailand,” I replied casually, looking at the weather forecast on TV.
Terry’s face lit up.
“I’m already packing, darling,” he gushed, in a flurry of hatboxes.
And with that spur of the moment decision, the future trajectory of my life was changed.
We took a one-hour flight from Penang to Bangkok and checked into a twin room on the 23rd floor of the Shangri-La hotel, with stunning views over the Chao Phraya river. That evening we went to Telephone Bar in the vibrant Silom district and got chatting with a group of friendly locals.
One of them, called Woody, had a dazzling smile and offered to take me on a motorbike tour of Bangkok by night. I ran the suggestion past Terry whose reply was “off you go darling!” And so, in a moment of Shirley Valentine spontaneity, I was whisked off on a scooter down a labyrinth of hot, steaming streets, where tall glass skyscrapers towered over makeshift wooden shacks and spicy chicken soup was being cooked at every corner. It was a thrill to the senses and from that first sultry, humid night in Bangkok, I was hooked.
When I got back to my hotel in the early hours of the morning, I was very surprised to find that Terry, along with all his hatboxes, had left. All that remained was a brief note on my bed: “Gone to Koh Samui. I want to be alone.”
Suddenly, I found myself 10,000km from home, all alone in a foreign country where I knew no one. I’m sure the sensible decision would have been to go back to Ireland and forget about the whole experience but, instead, I reached into my pocket and took out a little piece of paper with a neatly written telephone number and the words: “Call me! – Woody.”
Over the next few days, Woody and I visited some of Bangkok’s most famous tourist attractions. First, we went by motorbike taxi to the Grand Palace, the official ceremonial residence of the king. Built in 1782 by King Rama 1, it’s a huge complex on the west bank of the river and includes the renowned Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Some of it is open to the public, as long as you are well covered and have appropriate footwear (no flip-flops). Next, we took one of the frequent river boats down to Sathorn – a great way to see the towering skyline of the city – and disembarked at Saphan Taksin right next to the Shangri-La hotel. By early evening we were sitting in a side street outside a little restaurant that served the best fish in Bangkok for about €3.50 a main course.
Later that night, Woody brought me to App Arena Club to see his friend Coco, a sensational drag artiste, who lip-synched flawlessly to Whitney Houston – and looked very like her too. It was a whirlwind sightseeing tour which I would never have experienced if Terry hadn’t made his dramatic dash to Koh Samui.
A year later, Woody came to live with me in Ireland and we entered into a civil partnership in 2014. Ever since, we have made a trip each year to Thailand and we’ve built a little house in the rice fields near where he grew up, about 500km north of Bangkok.
In March, Woody and I arrived for our annual holiday in Thailand but now, like the rest of the world, we are caught in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Thai government has responded swiftly with draconian measures to contain the spread of the virus.
The beaches of the south are closed, patrolled day and night by drones; Phuket is in total lockdown (no one can enter or leave the island) and the bright lights of Bangkok’s world-famous nightlife have been turned off.
Throughout the country, there’s a strictly enforced curfew and anyone caught outside after 10pm could end up with a hefty fine or, worse still, a year in the Bangkok Hilton!
Controversially, there has been a total ban on the sale of alcohol since April 1. Thais are very sociable people and love nothing more than to gather at a friend’s house for a game of cards over a bottle of local whiskey but, in general, they are law-abiding and compliant and these strict measures have been highly effective.
To date, there are just 2,969 coronavirus cases in Thailand and while, sadly, there have been 54 deaths, in a country of nearly 70 million, these numbers are extremely low.
One of the other key tactics here has been to radically reduce international travel.
All foreigners have been banned from entering Thailand and Thai citizens returning from abroad must quarantine for 14 days at an appointed place.
Our return flights to Ireland on KLM have been cancelled, leaving us somewhat stranded here.
But at least we are not accidental tourists shipwrecked in an strange land. We are staying at Woody’s sister’s house in a private gated community in a leafy suburb of Bangkok. I start each morning with coffee in the garden, after which I teach English to our gorgeous nephew Hummer who is almost four years old and already nearly bilingual.
Woody’s sister and her husband both work in the property and construction business and, in a typically Thai gesture where family is paramount, they’ve told us we can stay as long as we want.
Since May 3, Thailand has started taking tentative steps towards getting its economy moving again. Outdoors markets are opening up, along with some cafes and restaurants and, for the first time in nearly two months, little Hummer has been released from the confines of his garden to play at the local park. Last week, we all visited the nearby King Rama IX Park and watching him whizzing around on his little green bicycle was pure joy.
In those early days, when I first visited Bangkok, I used to wonder what it would be like to live in Thailand – but I always lacked the courage to give it a try.
Now, with my classical music career on hold and a global pandemic forcing us all to rethink our lives, I have found myself here more by chance than by choice.
But what a blessing it is.
As restrictions are easing, our next plan is to all go up to our village house to help harvest the rice fields and mango and banana trees. These dazzling days in Thailand are a long way from Mozart and Puccini – but the joyous connection with family and nature is like waking up each morning to an unexpected paradise.
Northern Europeans may not be able to decamp to the beaches of the Mediterranean this summer because of the coronavirus, but will their governments support the devastated tourism sector?
Beach destinations like Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal are already among the European Union (EU) members facing a daunting struggle with debt – and now their vital travel and leisure industries are on the line.
Together with five more southern allies – France, Malta, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania – has urged the 27-member EU to help save this "strategic" economic resource.
The EU is seeking to put together a trillion-euro economic stimulus package, to kickstart the economy as a whole when the coronavirus lockdowns come to an end.
But, already rebuffed once, when they asked to share debt with their northern neighbors, southern countries are now sounding the alarm about the lost summer season.
The European Commission has been tasked with agreeing the rules of the relaunch, and on April 27, tourism ministers from member states held a video conference.
Afterwards, the nine southern members released a statement.
In our countries, tourism constitutes a strategic industry," they said.
"We would like the EU Recovery Plan to include strong support for tourism and to recognize the existence of certain territories with specificities that must be met."
The southern friends also urged "homogenous" travel rules, fearing that a piecemeal withdrawal of lockdown measures will distort the tourism market and isolate needy areas.
Read also: 'Don't cancel, postpone': Portugal urges tourists in voucher scheme
Brussels attempted in vain to coordinate the lockdown and keep the EU's internal borders open, but many national capitals imposed unilateral restrictions on unnecessary visits.
EU member states have now begun setting a variety of target dates and criteria for a return to normal, and some expect to urge or require their citizens to stay at home this year.
"Public health makes the law these days," said French minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, in an AFP interview.
"As soon as we get word on the opening of the borders, we'll let you know. It's important that areas that have not been affected are not exposed to the virus.
"We should promote Europe as a destination in and of itself, and avoid competition within the bloc," he said, while admitting domestic tourism will probably recover before trips abroad.
At the meeting, Croatia's tourism minister Gari Cappelli and EU single market commissioner Thierry Breton suggested members work on a harmonized strategy on hygiene rules.
In Breton's office, a source said they were aiming to have advice ready by mid-May so hoteliers, restaurateurs, tour operators and transport firms were working with the same tool kit.
This reflects the concern expressed by German foreign minister Heiko Maas in the Bild newspaper, that a dangerous free-for-all race between rival resorts to re-open could revive the epidemic.
Experts trace many of the cases of coronavirus in northern Europe to the Austrian ski station of Ischgl, popular with winter partygoers, and do not want beach hotspots like Majorca to play the same role in summer.
Source - TheJakartaPost
Monday, March 30, 2020
Beijing Zoo reopened on Monday after being closed since Jan 24 as part of efforts to control the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak.
The 5,000 animals have been fed well, are housed in sanitized areas and are enjoying the spring sunshine.
Zhang Chenglin, the zoo's deputy director, said, "Some of the animals, such as the pandas, preferred to have more exercise when the zoo was empty."
Veterinarians checked the animals' health. A pregnant Malayan tapir received the most attention, with regular ultrasound examinations.
Ma Tao, who looks after pandas at the zoo, starts his working day at 7 am by taking a fixed route on a delivery truck to feed the animals in their enclosure.
Workers such as Ma help prepare 2,000 kilograms of food for animals at the zoo every day, including chopped carrots, fresh cucumbers and raw meat.
"My happiest time of the day is to see the animals eating, even if sometimes they take a bite out of my arm," Ma, who is in his 40s, said jokingly. He added that it usually takes about three hours to distribute food to all the animals.
Occasionally, they need "afternoon tea", with grapes being the red pandas' favorite. Ma often feeds these animals by hand.
With snow falling in Beijing in the middle of last month, keepers spent more time checking on the animals. Some of the inhabitants preferred to keep warm in their enclosures, while others enjoyed being outdoors.
Zhang said: "Tufted deer prefer to be outside and can resist the cold even in extreme wintry conditions. They jump and run around frequently in the snow."
In the past month, zookeepers have been engaging with these animals to win their trust.
Zhang said he is most concerned about baby tufted deer, as they are extremely timid. He added that the term of a pregnant tufted deer is between three and seven months, during which time the animals must be provided with a quiet and stable environment to ensure they have adequate rest.
In the wild, tufted deer, which are listed as a national first-class protected wild animal, usually inhabit forests at an altitude of about 1,000 meters.
"Keepers need to be patient so that these creatures can get to know them after the first contact," Zhang said. "In the case of a newborn tufted deer, a keeper has to come to the animal at least four times before it will trust him and eat from his hand."
Zhang said disinfection measures at the zoo have been strengthened.
"We completely disinfect and sterilize the zoo once a week," he said, adding that the animals' food is carefully checked and purchased from Xinfadi, a wholesale market for agricultural products about 20 kilometers south of the zoo.
"We have sufficient food stored at the zoo to feed the animals for six months," he said, adding that designated suppliers have to be contacted in advance for deliveries of some food, such as bamboo for the pandas.
Zhang said online trips to the zoo are available, where visitors can see enclosures being disinfected and the animals fed.
Beijing resident Wang Shengru and her 6-year-old daughter are eagerly waiting to revisit the zoo. The chimpanzees are the young girl's favorite, as the animals make her laugh when they eat bananas.
Due to the outbreak, both mother and daughter have remained at home for more than one month. "She misses her animal friends terribly," Wang said.
Since Feb 22, Hongshan Forest Zoo in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, has been livestreaming footage of animals being fed. In the mornings during weekends, two "hosts" use a phone camera to take online visitors on a sightseeing tour of the zoological park.
Many people have voiced concern about food supplies for animals at the zoo, with online donation campaigns being launched to provide them with fresh vegetables, fruit and meat. The livestreaming sessions show that the animals are being fed well.
Elephant parks unvisited, curios at markets unsold as tuk-tuks sit idle: Southeast Asia is facing billions of dollars in losses from a collapse in Chinese tourism since the outbreak of a deadly new coronavirus.
From Luang Prabang in northern Laos to Pattaya in Thailand, Hoi An in Vietnam and the Cambodian casino town of Sihanoukville, takings have plummeted as Chinese travelers find themselves subject to a host of restrictions at home and abroad.
"We haven't had any Chinese for 10 days since they closed the road from Yunnan," says Ong Tau, 47, from behind her stall of fruit shakes in the temple-studded Laotian colonial town of Luang Prabang.
"Business is down 20-30 percent... it will get worse."
Tour guides, mall workers and restaurant staff are all feeling the burn as Chinese -- the world's biggest travellers -- stay at home in the middle of a global health crisis.
"My friend has lost four or five big tour groups... they would have paid for his low season," said Tee, a guide in Luang Prabang, giving only one name in the tightly-controlled communist country, a mass of tuk-tuks standing idle behind him.
But in one of Southeast Asia's least well-resourced countries, there may be one bright side to the sudden economic pain.
"We don't know how to protect ourselves," he added. "The government doesn't tell people anything... so maybe less Chinese is a good thing for now."
Loans and job losses
The slump is being felt sharply in Thailand, where tourism authorities say arrivals from China -- usually close to one million a month -- have plunged by 90 percent so far this February.
At the Chang Siam Elephant Park in Pattaya, a few hours south of Bangkok, owner Nantakorn Phatnamrob fears he will soon be pressed into debt to float a business which has lost nearly $65,000 since the outbreak.
"People are afraid to visit," he told AFP. "If it stays like this, I will have to get a loan from the bank."
Crocodile farms and tiger sanctuaries -- controversial tourist beacons where visitors can pet the animals -- are also deserted, leaving owners to feed expensive star attractions.
The outbreak has also spooked western tourists at the height of peak season in what has already been a tough period for Thai tourism thanks to a strong baht.
Thailand anticipates shedding five million tourists this year, taking with them "250 billion baht (over $8 billion) in revenue", according to Don Nakornthab, director of economic policy at Bank of Thailand.
"Our hopes that the economy will do better than last year are very low... it's possible it could grow below 2 percent," he added.
That will spell bad news for the untold number of Thais working in the tourism sector.
Ma Mya, 22, who sells trinkets in Pattaya, says she may soon have to return to her home in northern Thailand.
"There's no more profit -- everything has gone bad."
Things can only get better
With so much riding on the seasonal influx, some Mekong countries are desperate not to deter those Chinese still traveling.
Thailand offers visa on arrival for Chinese tourists despite having one of the highest numbers of confirmed infections -- 34 -- outside of the mainland.
At least two of those cases were Thais who contracted the virus after driving infected Chinese passengers, raising fears that the economy was taking priority over tackling the health crisis.
For staunch Beijing ally Cambodia, where only one case of the virus has been confirmed so far despite a large Chinese presence, strongman leader Hun Sen has repeatedly played down the risk to his country.
Still, Cambodian tourism is taking a hammering.
Ticket sales at the famed Angkor temple complex in Siem Reap have fallen between 30 and 40 percent this year, while in Sihanoukville, a southern beach resort notorious for its casinos, the tourist take has shriveled.
"I used to make $100 a day," said Chantha Reak, a ride-hailing driver. "Now it's $10."
Businesses are praying for a bounce back if and when the virus is controlled.
With 10 million Chinese visitors each year, Thailand hopes the pain will ease in a few months.
Regular visitor Yen Ran, 25, from Chengdu, came to Pattaya despite the health warnings.
"I am a little concerned how other countries perceive us," she told AFP. "But when there's a cure, things will get better."
Religious ceremonies will be organised on the compound of Angkor Wat during the celebration of the anniversary.
The Apsara National Authority (ANA) will mark the 25th anniversary of its establishment by preparing information booths to showcase achievements to the public.
Students who want to ask about problems, challenges and future goals can also do so for a week from February 15-22 on the compounds of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom city.
ANA disseminated information on Wednesday saying that by February 19, it would be 25 years that ANA was established in compliance with one of the five conditions for listing the Angkor Wat Resort as world heritage.
“To remind as well as advertise the 25-year achievements and future work vision alike, ANA will prepare information booths to display achievements and answer general questions during the exhibition on working achievements, problems, challenges and job goals for a week,” ANA said.
This information showed that over the last 25 years, ANA had renovated temples, developed the tourist sector, restored and reused ancient irrigation systems of the Angkor era, repaired and constructed physical infrastructure systems, especially community work in the city and five districts of the Angkor resort.
All of these had contributed to raising of citizens’ living standards and considerably changed and flourished many areas.
“The event will allow the public and students to learn about the work of the institution directly from ANA’s headquarters. Museums will open to visitors free of charge under the management of ANA,” it said.
ANA said that during the celebration of the anniversary, religious ceremonies would be organised on the compound of Angkor Wat. A total of 225 monks would be offered food on February 19.
Secretary general of the Asean-Korea Centre Lee Hyuk announced today that the Vietnam leg of the Asean Community-based Tourism Programme 2019 is now taking place in Mai Chau Valley.
. Community-based tourism (CBT), an emerging form of sustainable tourism, empowers local residents by allowing their participation in developing tourism products and returns the profits to the community.
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The Asean Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP) 2016-2025 suggests invigorating community participation as a way to encourage sustainable and inclusive tourism among member states. In continued efforts to promote community-based tourism, Asean has set up the Asean CBT Standard and grants Asean CBT awards to local communities that achieves the high standards of excellence.
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To support this effort, the Asean-Korea Centre (AKC) has organised the “Community-based Tourism Programme: 2019 in Vietnam, following the success of previous programs in Malaysia (2015), Brunei (2016), Thailand (2017), and Indonesia (2018).
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The programme aims to promote Vietnam’s CBT and introduce its hidden tourist attraction to the South Korean public and international tourists.The trip, in which journalists, youtubers, travel essayists and other content creators are participating kicked off yesterday and runs through Friday.
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The visitors will get to experience Vietnamese traditional culture, including the daily lives of the different ethnic minorities.
. At the end of the programne, their first-hand experience of traditional housing, batik and paper making of the H’mong ethnic group, traditional cuisine, and outdoor activities such as hiking in Pu Luong nature reserve and kayaking on the Da Reservoir will be introduced to the Korean public in feature articles and videos.
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“Mai Chau Village, situated about 75 km from Hanoi in Hoa Binh Province, received the Asean Community-based Tourism Award in 2017, in recognition of the community’s efforts to protect the natural environment and develop sustainable tourism in the region. I hope this programme enhance understanding of CBT and thus advocate for sustainable development in Asean.”
When traveling, sometimes the sky isn’t the limit, but the language
barrier is. One second you’re excited about exploring a new country, and
seconds later you're worrying about the language barrier it presents.
In the old days, many tourists walked around carrying a pocket
dictionary. But these days people have it easier. With a little help
from technology, traveling can be hassle-free.
1. Google Translate assists you with easy to use features
The app is mandatory. With over 500 million users, Google Translate
is packed with useful features. For instance, you can type in text in
one language and get an immediate translation in another. You can also
speak into the microphone and have the app read it out in a different
language. With the 59 languages available offline, Google Translate
allows you to engage in real-time conversation with locals, even when
you have no internet connection.
2. Duolingo equips you with knowledge of basic conversation
Duolingo offers short and fun daily conversation lessons to prepare
you for a trip. If you need a bit of motivation, its mascot, a green
owl, is there to cheer you on at all times. You can also test your
skills and level up when ready. The app has 200 million users actively
learning languages, including Esperanto, Hebrew, Portuguese, Greek,
Welsh, Romanian and Swahili.
3. HelloTalk connects you to locals
Not only do people help you, but you get to help others as well.
HelloTalk connects users with people who speak the language they need
through free chat and audio calls. Offering more than 100 languages,
HelloTalk also supports interactive experience through its translation
and grammar correction tools.
4. TripLingo comes in handy in critical situations
If you need emergency information, currency conversion, tip
calculation or briefings on local etiquette, TripLingo is the right app.
Besides offering voice translators in 19 languages, the app offers live
human translators on standby, available for an extra charge.
5. Tandem teams you up with a native speaker
Perhaps the quickest way to learn a new language, especially daily
conversational ones, is by making friends. With more than 150 languages
to choose from and a community of over 1 million people, Tandem pairs
you with a language partner to help you learn even slang from the people
who use it.
6. Waygo reads foreign alphabets for you
If you’re in for some local food but can’t read a single letter on
the menu, Waygo can help you out. The app works by reading letters that
you aim your camera at, translate and spell them out for you. The best
thing is, it is available offline as well.
7. iTranlate converts speech to text with ease
Locals often can’t be bothered with typing the sentence they are
trying to say into your translator app. iTranslate’s voice recognition
technology ensures a smooth conversation between travelers and locals.
It converts speech into words in over 100 languages and includes an
extensive dictionary with verb conjugations. The app also recently
introduced a visual dictionary, with the ability to suggest words
corresponding to the object shown in photos
The board of Tourism Business and Guides has
approved the guideline on minimum guide service charges for three types
of tourists - outbound tourists, inbound tourists and domestic tourists,
said Thaweesak Wanitcharoen, director general of Department of
Tourism.
Thaweesak said the rates were in line with the
policy of Minister of Tourism and Sports, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, to
prevent tourists from being exploited in spending and service charges by
tour businesses and guides.
“After the approval, the sub-committee will consider ways to improve the
Tourism Business and Guide Act, B.E. 2551 (2008) in order to enforce it
as a law ,” he said.
The approved minimum guide service charges for outbound tourists range
from Bt1,600 to 9,000 per person (three days and two nights), exlcuding
airline ticket price.
For inbound tourists, the charges are: a minimum of Bt800 per person per night (Asean), Bt1,000 (Asia), Bt1,500 for others.
Domestic tourists will pay a service rate of Bt300 each for
non-overnight stay, Bt600 per night for overnight stay. The charges
include accommodation and transportation fees.
The 14th National Assembly will
debate this week some draft laws, including the law amending and
supplementing some articles of the law on entry, exit, transit and
residence of foreigners in Vietnam, as part of the ongoing eighth
session.
Vietnam’s tourism has developed strongly over the recent past and brought about high economic values.
However, experts in the tourism sector said there still remain
bottlenecks, one of which being policies on the entry and exit of
foreigners, which need to be settled in order to improve the sector’s
competitiveness, thus attracting more international visitors.
Hoang Nhan Chinh, head of the Secretariat of the Vietnam Tourism
Advisory Board, said the law on entry, exit, transit and residence of
foreigners in Vietnam should be more open.
He cited as an example the stipulation that requires a gap of at least 30 days between two visa-free visits.
Chinh further said that many international visitors, especially those
from Western Europe, Northern Europe and Russia, want to stay in
Vietnam longer than the maximum visa-free 15 days.
He also emphasized the need for a national website that publishes
official information about visa policies, citing a survey by the Vietnam
Tourism Advisory which showed that most websites of Vietnamese
embassies abroad fail to update latest information on the country’s visa
policies.
Such a website should be prescribed clearly in the law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam, he said.
Chinh also pointed to problems in visa granting at Vietnam’s border
gates, which still requires visitors to apply for visas at embassies and
receive visas at the border gates. He said this has reduced the tourism
sector’s competitiveness.
Experts in the tourism sector are concerned about the fact that the
visa exemption policy for tourists from major markets like Russia, Japan
and the Republic of Korea (RoK) will end on December 31, 2019.
They said the number of visitors from those markets would drop 30-50 percent if the policy is not extended.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, deputy head of the Vietnam National
Administration of Tourism, proposed expanding the list of countries and
border gates eligible for e-visas.
Besides, Vietnam needs to reform visa grant procedures at border gates and review its unilateral visa waiver policy, she said. – Vietnam Plus
If you are an eco-tourism enthusiast, here is another good news for you.
A leading property developer in the Kingdom, Chamreun Sambath Construction Co Ltd, has announced that it is working on another massive eco-tourism project, this time in Kampong Speu province.
The new project, which is called KC Adventure/Agricultural Resort Basedth, will sit on more than 100 hectares of land in Kampong Speu’s Basedth district, Dr Alexander Evengroen, CEO of Chamreun Sambath Construction Co Ltd, said in an interview yesterday.
Just like with their eco-tourism project in Kampot province, Mr Evengroen said their Kampong Speu venture will benefit the Cambodian people and the Kingdom’s tourism industry. Chamreun Sambath Construction Co Ltd is separately working on a multi-million-dollar adventure Resort in Kampot’s Chhouk district. “We want to give back to the people while growing Cambodia’s tourism industry,” he said.
According to him, their latest venture will feature a Cambodian history museum, fruit farms, cattle farms, special islands, restaurants, solar park, guesthouses, hotel, hobbit homes, cable carts, flower gardens, nature hiking trails, watersports facilities, coffee shop, sky tower, fish ponds, car park, clubhouse, resort, pavilion and cottages, among others. “What is unique about this place is that visitors will also learn about the beauty of Cambodian history while enjoying the scenery,” he pointed out.
Mr Evengroen said Basedth district is an excellent choice for such project. According to many tourism experts, Kampong Speu, with its mountains, forests, and national parks, is among several provinces in Cambodia that hold vast potential for eco-tourism development.
“The location is green and fresh, with stunning views and mountains within and in the background. It is also easy to reach and ready for development,” he stressed.
“We are developing more than 100 hectares and might expand in the future,” he added.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the company's collapse was "very sad news for staff and holidaymakers".
He urged holidaymakers to be "understanding with staff" amid the "enormous" task of bringing people home.
Mr Shapps has announced that the government and CAA has hired dozens of charter planes to fly customers home free of charge.
The emergency operation, codenamed Operation Matterhorn, is aiming to bring home Britons currently on holiday with the firm.
On Sunday, empty aircraft had already started to be flown overseas, ready to bring British tourists home on Monday.
One of the world's best known holiday brands, the business was founded in 1841 in Leicestershire by cabinet-maker Thomas Cook.
How will holidaymakers get home?
All
customers currently abroad with Thomas Cook who are booked to return to
the UK over the next two weeks will be brought home "as close as
possible" to their booked return date, the Department for Transport
(DfT) has said.
Customers will be brought home to the UK on special free flights or booked onto another scheduled airline at no extra cost.
The DfT added that a "small number" of passengers may need to book their own flight home and reclaim the costs.
Customers
have been urged not to cut short their holiday or go to the airport
without checking the website for more information about their return
journey.
The CAA is also contacting hotels accommodating Thomas
Cook customers, who have booked as part of a package, to tell them that
the cost of their accommodation will be covered by the government,
through the Air Travel Trust Fund and Air Travel Organiser's Licence
scheme (Atol).
The CAA said in a statement: "All Thomas Cook bookings, including flights and holidays, have now been cancelled.
"We know that a company with such long-standing history ceasing
trading will be very distressing for its customers and employees and our
thoughts are with everyone affected by this news."
Tim Johnson,
policy director of the CAA, told BBC News it has chartered "more than
40" aircraft, which are already in position, to bring passengers home.
He
urged customers in the UK who were due to travel not to go to the
airport "because very sadly your flight has been cancelled".
Mr
Johnson added: "For those who have not yet started their holiday, we
will be publishing details of how they can claim a refund on the
website, no later than next Monday."
Business Secretary Andrea
Leadsom has said she will write to the Insolvency Service urging them to
"fast-track" their investigation into the circumstances surrounding
Thomas Cook going into liquidation.
The DfT said the investigation will also consider the conduct of the directors.
Travel expert Simon Calder told BBC News that planes at Manchester
airport have already begun to be impounded following news of the
collapse.
"Shortly after midnight, we saw the airport putting a
notice of detention on some Thomas Cook aircraft because of unpaid
airport bills," he said.
What went wrong?
Thomas
Cook had secured a £900m rescue deal led by its largest shareholder
Chinese firm Fosun in August, but a recent demand from its lending banks
to raise a further £200m in contingency funding had put the deal in
doubt.
Fosun said in a statement it was "disappointed" following news of the collapse.
It
added: "Fosun confirms that its position remained unchanged throughout
the process, but unfortunately other factors have changed.
"We extend our deepest sympathy to all those affected by this outcome."
The
holiday company had spent all Sunday in talks with lenders trying to
secure the additional funding and salvage the deal, but to no avail.
It had also asked the government for financial aid, a solution also urged by Labour and union groups.
Customers
on a package holiday have Atol protection - a fund paid for through
industry levies - which will cover the cost of their holiday and
repatriation.
Thomas Cook has blamed a series of issues for its
problems including political unrest in holiday destinations such as
Turkey, last summer's prolonged heatwave and customers delaying booking
holidays because of Brexit.
But the firm has also faced fierce competition from online travel agents and low-cost airlines.
In addition, many holidaymakers are putting together their own holidays and not using travel agents.
What are your rights?
If you are on a package holiday you are covered by the Atol scheme.
The scheme will pay for your accommodation abroad, although you may have to move to a different hotel or apartment.
Atol will also pay to have you brought home if the airline is no longer operating.
If you have holiday booked in the future you will also be refunded by the scheme.
If
you have booked a flight-only deal you will need to apply to your
travel insurance company or credit card and debit card provider to seek a
refund.
When Monarch Airlines collapsed in 2017, the government
organised to bring home all the stranded passengers, whether they were
covered by Atol or not.
Are
you a Thomas Cook customer or member of staff? If you've been affected
by the issues raised here, you can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
Unable to adapt to the move online as smaller, nimbler travel
companies thrive, Thomas Cook, the household name in international
travel, is close to financial collapse. And the collapse could leave up
to 150,000 British tourists stranded overseas.
The iconic British
travel giant Thomas Cook say they’ve failed to find any further private
investment to stave off collapse and now relies on an unlikely
government bailout. The group is blaming “Brexit uncertainty” as the
major problem with their current malaise.
The operator announced
they needed £200 million (US$250 million) – in addition to the
£900-million rescue deal secured last month – or else face
administration, which could potentially trigger Britain’s largest
repatriation since World War II – customers who are currently overseas.
A source close to the negotiations told AFP the company had failed to
find the £200 million from private investors and would collapse unless
the government intervened. Without another bailout by its Chinese major
shareholder Fosun, the brand’s financial options are few.
But
ministers are unlikely to step in due to worries about the pioneering
operator’s longer-term viability leaving it teetering on the brink of
collapse and stranding up to 150,000 British holidaymakers abroad.
“We
will know by tomorrow if agreement is reached,” the source told AFP.
The firm’s shareholders and creditors are scheduled to meet from 9 am
(0800 GMT) on Sunday morning, followed by a meeting of the board of
directors in the afternoon.
The Transport Salaried Staffs Association, which represents workers at the company, called on the government to rescue the firm.
“It is incumbent upon the government to act if required and save this
iconic cornerstone of the British high street and the thousands of jobs
that go with it,” said TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes.
“The company must be rescued no matter what.”
Two
years ago, the collapse of Monarch Airlines prompted the British
government to take emergency action to return 110,000 stranded
passengers, costing taxpayers some £60 million on hiring planes.
The government at the time described it as Britain’s “biggest-ever peacetime repatriation”.
Thousands
of workers could also lose their jobs, with the 178 year old company
employing about 22,000 staff worldwide, including 9,000 in Britain.
Chinese
peer Fosun, which was already the biggest shareholder in Thomas Cook,
agreed last month to inject £450 million into the business. In return,
the Hong Kong-listed conglomerate acquired a 75% stake in Thomas Cook’s
tour operating division and 25% of its airline unit.
Creditors and
banks agreed to inject another £450 million under the recapitalisation
plan announced in August, converting their debt in exchange for a 75%
stake in the airline and 25 percent of the tour operating unit.
Thomas
Cook in May revealed that first-half losses widened on a major
write-down, caused in part by Brexit uncertainty that delayed summer
holiday bookings. The group, which has around 600 stores across the UK,
has also come under pressure from fierce online competition.
China's renowned Terracotta Warriors have been brought to Thailand
for the first time for an three-month exhibition at National Museum
Bangkok that started from Sunday.
The opening ceremony of the exhibition "Qin Shi Huang, The First
Emperor of China and Terracotta Warriors", was held on Sunday afternoon,
after which many Thais flooded into the Siwamokkhaphiman Throne Hall to
take a glimpse of the over 2,000-year old Terracotta Warriors, or
funerary sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang.
Held jointly by Thailand's Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture
and China's Shaanxi Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage, the
exhibition collected 86 items of artifacts from 14 leading museums
around Shaanxi province, said Qian Jikui, deputy director of the Shaanxi
Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage, during the opening
ceremony.
Qian told the audience that the exhibition is divided into four
parts, Before the Qin Empire, Qin Empire: Unification and the Birth of
China, Terracotta Army: Its Discovery and Mystery, The Prosperous Empire
of Han with Terracotta Army being the core part.
"We are trying to show people the history and culture of Qin Empire,
from its beginning to its impact on the later history of China," Qian
said.
Wissanu Krea-ngam, deputy prime minister of Thailand, told the
opening ceremony that it is a very rare chance to see Terracotta
Warriors and other Chinese artifacts of great value in Bangkok and he
encourages Thais to take the chance to learn more about China's history
and culture.
China has a long history and Qin Shi Huang is a prominent figure, the
deputy prime minister said, adding, "We called China Chin in Thai and
it is assumed to derive from Qin, the name of Qin Shi Huang's empire,
which reveals how influential Qin was."
He also hailed Thailand-China exchange and friendship for hundreds of
years and said the exhibition came at a great year which marks the 70th
anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the
44th anniversary of the establishment of Thailand-China diplomatic
relations.
.
. Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Lyu Jian said during the opening
ceremony that the exhibition marked that China-Thailand friendship have
reached new height.
The Terracotta Army, discovered in 1974, reveals the sophistication
of ancient Chinese civilization and its conservation demonstrates the
development of Chinese technology, the Chinese ambassador noted, adding
that the exhibition would further promote mutual understanding between
Chinese and Thai peoples and their friendship.
Thai Minister of Culture Itthiphol Kunplome told Xinhua after the
opening ceremony that the exhibition proves how close Thailand-China
relations are and it would become a great chance for Thais to learn
about history and also to attract tourists.
Itthiphol said it is expected that 200,000 visitors would come to the
event during the 3-month long period until Dec 15 this year.
The exhibition attracted many Thais' attention on social media as
many commented they would go to visit it for sure and thanked the
efforts of both governments to make it happen.
Rakchaneewan, a Thai visitor told Xinhua that she was moved after seeing
those artifacts as she can see and feel the ancient Chinese
civilization just here, and she hopes the friendship between Thailand
and China would last forever.
Bangkok ranked first in 2018 for the fourth straight year as the city
with the most international visitors, according to an annual report by
Mastercard released Wednesday.
With almost 23 million international visitors last year, the Thai
capital outpaced both Paris and London, which were second and third with
just over 19 million visitors.
Other top cities in order were: Dubai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, New York, Istanbul, Tokyo and Antalya, Turkey.
The report pointed to broad increases in international travel, with
the total number of international visits up 76 percent since 2009.
Nine of the top 10 cities saw increases in 2018 compared with the
prior year. London was the exception, with a drop of four percent.
Dubai topped the list as far as consumption, with travelers spending
an average of $553 per day and visitors spending a total of nearly $31
billion. Mecca, Saudi Arabia and Bangkok were second and third as far as
spending.
Established in 2011, the Global Destination Cities ranks 200 cities based on visitor arrivals and cross-border spending.
U.S. cable news channel CNN has listed the 400-year-old Hoi An Town in central Vietnam among “the most picturesque” in Asia.
The UNESCO heritage site in Quang Nam Province ranks fourth in the list of 13 most beautiful towns in Asia, behind another UNESCO site, George Town in Malaysia, the beautiful river town of Zhouzhuang in China and Japan’s Yufuin.
Hoi An, which used to be the busiest trading port in Southeast Asia in the 16th century and was famous for ceramics and high-quality silk, is now "a heaven for photographers, foodies and architecture lovers", CNN said.
"Thanks to centuries as an important trade hub, the narrow streets of Hoi An ancient town feature rows and rows of charming mustard-hued merchant houses though many have since been transformed into low-key restaurants, bars, design boutiques and tailors' shops."
For many, Hoi An is not just a collection of 16th century houses for which the former port town has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. A cuisine particular to the town, influenced by many different cultures including Japan, China and Portugal, is a major part of its attraction too.
.
Don’t miss the array of delicious food experiences, from banh mi, a Vietnamese single-serving baguette filled with various savory ingredients, at the famous Banh Mi Phuong Restaurant (2B Phan Chau Trinh) that has been praised by bloggers and foreign media for several years now. Anthony Bourdain referred to the banh mi here as "the world's best", CNN said.
"Foodies can also enjoy local staples like herb-covered rice rolls, white rose dumplings and fresh seafood at Ms Ly’s café."
.
.
Famous towns in Southeast Asia appearing on the CNN list also include Vigan in the Philippines, Luang Prabang in Laos, Kampot in Cambodia, Kota Gede in Indonesia, and Phuket Old Town in Thailand.
Hoi An has been earning one laurel after another this year including topping this year’s tourism hotspot listing by New York-based magazine Travel + Leisure.
On July 16 Google Doodle featured an image of Hoi An with symbols of Chua Cau (Pagoda Bridge) and colorful lanterns, the first Vietnamese destination to be honored thus.
The number of foreign visitors to Hoi An skyrocketed by 90 percent last year to 3.7 million.
