travel weekly magazine 02 - 09 - 2010

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O f f i c i a l M e d i a P a r t n e r f o r :

International sailing festival

promises more than tourism benefits

Andara Resort & Villas Phuket

to host Charity Fashion Show

How to Be Safe

in a Foreign Country

http://www.travelweekly.com.vn/



Dear Travel Weekly readers!

Welcome to the 33 Issues of Travel Weekly!

First of all, on behalf of all the members at Travel Weekly Magazine I would like

to say thank you very much for supporting and sharing with us your ideas since

the early days of our magazine.

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well as travel lovers those who cares about the tourism industry.

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E: [email protected]

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O f f i c i a l M e d i a P a r t n e r f o r :

Internationalsailingfestival

promisesmore thantourism benefits

AndaraResort &Villas Phuket

tohost CharityFashionShow

HowtoBe Safe

inaForeignCountry

0 2

S e p ,

2 0 1 0

http://www.itehcmc.com/



The first international sailing festival titled “the Queen

of Green Sea” to be held later this year in the Central

Coastal province of Binh Thuan has the potential to

boost socio-economic development in general, not just

the tourism sector. Come and enjoy the fantastic event.

07. Contest to seek new slogan for Nation-

al Tourism Campaign

02. Netherlands to help promote Vietnam

tourism image abroad

VIETNAM NEWS

04. Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi won

the PATA gold award 2010

03. Vietnam ceramic products to be held

in Binh Duong

08. Work starts on Ocean Window Spa &

Resort

Andara Resort & Villas

Phuket to host Charity

Fashion Show

27The Andara Resort & Villas in Phuket is to host a fashion

runway show to benefit the children’s education charity.

As according to Tom McNamara, Founder of the Phuket

Has Been Good To Us Foundation, said “Education is

a gift that stays with you forever. You can’t sell it and

nobody can take it away from you. It is the best way for

us to give back to this island that has been so good to

us.” Let’s join and support this meaning event.

International sailing

festival promises more

than tourism benefits

FEATURES02

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Thursday 02.09.2010

While being in a foreign country may be fun, there is al-

ways danger abroad, just as there is danger at home. All

visitors from any country should learn what the dangers

are in foreign countries and how to protect themselves

no matter how sure they are that they are safe. Keep in

mind the following pointers to make your next foreign

trip as safe and as hassle-free as possible.

How to Be Safe in a

Foreign Country

10 - 11

44 - 47

12. Developer inks multiple hotel man-agement deals

15 . Five travel operators win the Friends

of Thailand Award

16. Received over 554,000 entries

studying about Hanoi’s thousand years

18. International Tourism Festival to beheld with Hanoi’s millennial years

1,000 YEARS OF

THANG LONG - HANOI

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

23. Phuket leads Thailand’s tourism backto boom levels

24. The future of tourism in South Africa

beyond 2010

25. Abu Dhabi hotel sector saws a 16%

rise in July

26. IHG named Australasia’s most sustain-

able hotelier

28. Private Spa Wellness Centre opens

in Bali

35. Hainan Airlines offers Dalian-Singa-

pore air route

AVIATION NEWS

37. Air New Zealand set to lead aviation

recovery

40. Europe’s most punctual airlines

revealed

42 - 43. 10 culture and customs of Spanish

to know when travelling & living in Spain

(Part 2)

48 - 49. The Truth about Managing Your

Patients’ Expectations

50 - 53. Vietnam Water Puppetry

DO YOU KNOW

DESTINATIONS

BUSINESS ADVICE

MEDICAL TOURISM



VIETNAM NEWS

Thursday 02.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn

New resort planned for

Binh Dinh province

The Vietnamese Days in China

taking place from 29 August – 3

September is to offer more oppor-

tunities for Vietnamese firms to set

up, promote investment and coop-

erative ties with major groups from

China and Asian countries. Theevent includes a Vietnam-China

economic forum, a trade and invest-

ment forum, a business-to-business

meeting and a photographic exhibi-

tion called “Vietnam – its land and

people”.

Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, will be on

show at the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Culture House on 12-13September and at the Vietnam Women’s Museum in Hanoi

16-19 September.The event is organised by the Japanese Cultural ExchangeCentre to mark the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

Flower arrangements by Professor Sasaki Yasihito, Japan’stop Ikebana artists, will be on display.Ikebana artists say that using a plant’s stems, leaves, and

flowers to make special designs shows nature’s beauty and vitality as well as human emotions.

Japanese Ikebana appeared 550 years ago and has virtuallybecome a “religion” over the centuries.

R epresentatives from travel agencies, hotels and restau-rants and experts from the Netherlands Development

Organization (SNV) gathered in Vietnam’s northern province

of Lao Cai on to discuss measures to promote Sa Pa tourismservices and products abroad.

The participants cited cultural identities, natural conditions

and agricultural cultivation methods, as well as the State man-

agement as major factors in efforts to promote the trademark.They agreed that it is necessary to define unique souvenir

products of Sa Pa.

Sa Pa is one of Vietnam’s top holiday and relaxation destina-tions a t the height of 1,600 meters above sea level, the aver-

age temperature of the area is 15-18°C. It is cool in summerand cold in winter, the Vietnam National Administration of

Tourism (VNAT) said.

Sa Pa also has many natural sites such as Ham Rong Moun-tain, Silver Waterfall, Rattan Bridge, Bamboo Forest and TaPhin Cave, Fansipan Mountain, Hoang Lien Son Mountain

Range. It is especially home to various families of flowers of captivating colors, which can be found nowhere else in the

country.

The participants cited cultural identities, natural conditionsand agricultural cultivation methods, as well as the state man-

agement as major factors in efforts to promote the trademark.They agreed that it is necessary to define unique souvenirproducts of Sa Pa.

The SNV experts will closely cooperate with the local side to

work out the measures so that the promotion program can becarried out soon, an official from SNV said.

Lao Cai welcomed 700,000 tourists, including 326,000 foreign

ones in 2009. The province aims to receive 820,000 visi-tors, including 330,000 foreign tourists and earn revenues of

VND700 billion this year.

Twelve international art troupes and

five Vietnamese puppetry troupes

will attend the Second International

Puppetry festival in Hanoi from 4-9

September. It also is one of many

activities to celebrate the 1,000th

anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi

and is expected to promote Viet-nam’s puppetry arts to international

friends. The winning troupe is ex-

pected to receive a gold cup worth

US$1,000.

Saigon general Services Joint Stock

Co. (Savico) officially kicked off

the construction project of Mercure

Son Tra Resort this morning on Son

Tra peninsula, Da Nang City. The

Mercure Sontra Resort is a high-class hotel-tourism-resort complex

to be constructed with total area of

57,651 square metres, including a

four-star hotel with 120 rooms and

22 high-end resort villas. The proj-

ect is likely to cost $20 million.

A new resort project is being

planned for Vietnam’s central Binh

Dinh province. The VND2.27 trillion

Trung Hoi Resort project will be

developed on 106 hectares in the

Nhon Hoi Economic Zone, includ-

ing a four-star hotel, camping area,

sports facilities, a maritime ecotour-ism area, entertainment and F&B

outlets and a public baths. Con-

struction will take place in three

phases, eventually finishing in 2020.

Vietnamese Days in

China to be held

International puppetry

festival to host in Hanoi

Savico start

construction on

Mercure Son Tra Resort

2

Japanese art of flower arrangement

showcased in Vietnam

Netherlands to help promote

Vietnam tourism image abroad

Terraced rice fields in Sa Pa


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/travel-weekly-magazine-02-09-2010 5/57Thursday 02.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn

A festival highlighting Vietnamese ce-ramic products will begin in the southern

province of Binh Duong on National Day(September 2) to mark the 1,000th anniver-

sary of Hanoi.

Nineteen pottery villages and 50 ceramic

companies including 19 from the BinhDuong Province’s Ceramics Association

will take part in the festival in Thu Dau Mot

Town.

The festival will introduce Vietnam’s most

special ceramic products and winners in

the following categories: the biggest, thebest gilded, most difficult to shape, the

most beautiful pattern, and the most unique

sacred object.

The most special item will be a three-pieceset from Minh Long Ceramic Company 1:

Van Lang gem bowl, Vietnamese soul cup,

and golden lotus cup. Dozens of craftsmen

created these items over five years.

Another notable product is the Quoc Binh

Thang Long bronze drum, which was

made within two years by craftsmen from

Cuong Phat Company. This company will

also showcase unique ceramic products

created through a new burning technique.

Some ceramic items that hold historical

meaning will be introduced, like the Heav-

en and Earth jar and Ancient Thang Long,

respectively produced by Trung Thanhand Minh Cuong ceramic companies.

Producers said that these are special

products that mark great progress for the

ceramics industry, so there will not be

fixed prices.

By August 26, 19 craft villages and 50 ce-

ramic companies registered to join the fes-

tival. The organizing board has registered

ten products as establishing Vietnamese

records in various categories.

Binh Duong Ceramics Association chair-man Ly Ngoc Minh said that in preparation

for the first Vietnam ceramics festival, firms

have tried to make unique products to

show the vitality of this traditional trade.

Minh said that the ceramic trade is facing a

slowdown not only in Vietnam, but in many

countries. Recently famous ceramic brands

like Royal Doulton and Westwood (UK),

Rosenthal (Germany), and Thun (CzechRepublic) have gone bankrupt. Many

ceramic factories in Japan and China have

closed.

He said that the number of ceramic firms in

Binh Duong has fallen from 500 to 120, butonly 70 of them are still operating. “How-

ever, it is miraculous that 20-30 companies

account for 70-80 percent of the country’s

total ceramic export revenue,” he added.

VIETNAM NEWS 3

Vietnam ceramic products

to be held in Binh Duong



VIETNAM NEWS


4

The Sofitel Legend Metro-pole will glitter again at the

PATA Gold Awards 2010ceremony, taking place on

17 September in Macau,accepting the gold award inthe Heritage category.

The award lauds the hotelfor its refurbishment of one

of Southeast Asia’s mosttreasured properties. Sofitel

relaunched the Metropolein 2009 as the hotel group’sfirst Legend property.

“The challenge for any hotelin the Heritage category

is achievement of a verydelicate balance betweencelebration of historical

charm, and satisfaction of to-morrow’s expectation,” said

Kai Speth, General Managerof the Sofitel Legend Metro-

pole Hanoi. “Where so manyhotels are only thinkingabout today and tomorrow,

we have an obligation tothink about today, tomorrow

and yesterday. The PATA Award persuades us that

we’re on the right track.”

The refurbishment main-

tained the original architec-ture since 1901, enhanced with the development of

new facilities, the creation of themed suites and a range

of guest’s experience ac-cording to the way of livingheritage within the spirit of

centennial establishment.The restoration began in2004 and was revealed as a

“fait accompli” last year withthe launch of Sofitel Legend.

The new facilities include, Angelina, a chic Italian res-

taurant that raised the bar onsophisticated nightlife in Ha-

noi. The hotel also openedLe Spa du Metropole last year. Remarkably, this was

the first spa to be opened inthe hotel’s 108-year history.

The Sofitel Legend Metro-

pole Hanoi’s themed suitesindulge the property’sconnections to legendary

people like Charlie Chaplin,Somerset Maugham andGraham Greene, each of

whom stayed at the hotel.Located in the historic,

1901-built wing, each of these suites is imbued withcolonial-era aesthetics.

“When you’re in the GrahamGreene suite, it’s not that dif-

ficult to imagine him sittinghere, churning out the 500 words he was reputed to do

every day like clockwork,”said Speth. “Being able to

imagine that - to fall into thattime warp, if you will - is ex-

actly the kind of spell we’retrying to cast.”

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

won the PATA gold award 2010



VIETNAM NEWS 5



VIETNAM NEWS


6

A festival, entitled “Hello! Vietnam” will

take place at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo on18-19 September.

According to Iwao Matsuda, former Japanese senator and Co-Chairmanof the festival’s organising board,

the board set up a club of fans of the Vietnam Festival to attract participants

in the event. The club now has about1,000 members, to join the club youcan register at www.vietnamfes.jp.

Ambassador Nguyen Phu Binh saidthat the Vietnam Festival has become

an annual event since the success of the first festival in 2008. The festival

has won great applause and receivedspecial attention from the Japanesepeople.

The Hello! Vietnam festival this year will include performances by popular

artists from both countries, including

singers Ho Quynh Huong and Nam

Cuong from Vietnam, artists from Japa-nese Idoling, Gypsy Queen and RapDG Samurai groups.

Visitors to the festival will have an op-portunity to get better understanding

of Vietnamese musical instrumentsand traditional culture. They will also

have the chance to taste Vietnamesefood and buy traditional Vietnamesehandicrafts.

There will be 40 food stalls and 20booths displaying Vietnamese special

fine arts and handicraft products dur-ing the two-day event. Other member

countries of the ASEAN have alsoregistered to showcase their productsat 15 stalls at the festival.

The organising board expected thatthe Hello! Vietnam 2010 will attract

about 100,000 people.

‘Hello! Vietnam’

festival to be take place in Japan

The Japanese capital of Tokyo will celebrate Vietnamese culture titled “Hello! Vietnam” fes-

tival with performances by popular artists from

both countries. Visitors will have an opportunity

to get better understanding of Vietnamese musi-

cal instruments and traditional culture, taste

Vietnamese food and buy traditional Vietnam-

ese handicrafts. Come and enjoy!



VIETNAM NEWS 7

The Vietnam National Administration of

Tourism has launched a national con-test to find a new slogan and logo forthe 2011-2015 period.

VNAT announced the contest to replace the cur-rent campaign “Vietnam - the Hidden Charm”

that has been the campaign since 2005. Entriesare open to locals, foreigners and organizationsand can be in English or Vietnamese.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, deputy head of the VNAT Marketing Department, told the Daily that

along with the logo and slogan, the contestantscould provide marketing ideas to promote thenew image as well as the brand name of the

country’s tourism.

The board of examiners will select the 10 best

works for the final round. The first prize is VND50million, VND30 million for second and the thirdprize VND20 million. There will also be seven

consolation prizes.

Entries can be sent from now through Decem-

ber 15. The winners will be announced at theend of December.

The contestants can send the works to slog-

[email protected] or 80 Quan SuStreet, Hanoi.

Contest to seek new slogan for National

Tourism Campaign



Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai

launched the construction of Ho Chi Minh

City’s Metro line No.2 on August 24, which

will eventually link Ben Thanh market in thecity centre and Tham Luong in district 12.

As planned, the metro No 2 will be located

in an area of 26 hectares on the northern part

of Tham Luong Channel, Dist 12, HCM City, with the departure of Tay Ninh Coach Station

to the destination station in Thu Thiem new

urban area.

The metro has total length of 11.3 kilometres,including 9.3 kilometres underground with

ten underground stations of Ben Thanh, Tao

Dan, Dan Chu Workplace, Hoa Hung, Le

Thi Rieng, Pham Van Hai, Bay Hien, Nguyen

Hong Dao, Ba Queo and Pham Van Bach. Inaddition, there will be a one-kilometre con-

nection road to Tham Luong Depot Station

and one-kilometre overhead road.

Hai highlighted the important role the proj-

ect plays in the city’s socio-economic devel-

opment as it is the nation’s most populous

city and constantly plagued by traffic jams.

The project was expected to be finishedand put into operation in 2016 with designed

speed of 80 kilometres per hour. The total in-

vestment capital for this project was posted

at US$1,25 billion or VND23,67 trillion, in which $195 million was loans and non-re-

fundable ODA of EUR85,75 million.

The project will have additional investment

supplied by the Clean Technology Fund.

German Ambassador Rolf Schulze and

ADB Country Director Ayumi Konishi both

pledged to work closely with domestic

agencies to speed up the preparatory stepsfor signing the credit and consultancy con-tracts.

Previously, HCM City had started construc-

tion on metro No 1 – Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien

with total length of 19.7 kilometres. The

project was supposed to be completed inlate 2014.

VIETNAM NEWS 9

The Phu An Bamboo Village – a bamboo eco-

logical reserve which is considered the larg-

est of its kind in Southeast Asia – has beenannounced as one of 25 winners of the United

Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Equator Prize 2010.

Dr Diep Thi My Hanh, who chairs the project

on “Phu An Bamboo Ecological Museum andBotanical Reserve” in the southern province

of Binh Duong said on 24 August: “This is the

first time a project on Vietnam’s bamboo has

been honoured in the world.”

The Phu An Bamboo Village is a cooperationproject between Binh Duong province andHo Chi Minh City National University , France

’s Rhone Alpes Region and Pilat Natural Park

of France. It has an initial investment of nearly

675 million EUR.

Six years after implementation, the ecologi-

cal reserve in Binh Duong province has a col-lection of about 130 species of bamboo be-

longing to 17 varieties. Among them are rare

and precious varieties of each region in the

country such as ivory bamboo and yellow-

striped bamboo.The 10ha reserve also includes a museum

made from bamboo displaying equipment,

instruments and works made from bamboo

materials such as music instruments, and a

research area for scientists and students who

want to learn about bamboo and growing anddeveloping this tropical tree.

The Phu An Bamboo Village is likely to turn

into Asia’s bamboo reserve, said Dr. Gabriel

de Taffin, regional director of the French Ag-

ricultural Research Centre for InternationalDevelopment (CIRAD) in Southeast Asia.

According to Hanh, bamboo grows fast, is

used for different purposes, and is particu-

larly useful in absorbing carbon dioxide and

fighting climate change. Apart from protecting the biodiversity of

bamboo, the Phu An Bamboo Village is a cen-

tre for research and technological transfer on

the applications of bamboo in life and envi-

ronmental protection, Hanh said.Dr. Hanh now researches the applications of bamboo in absorbing heavy metal present

in soil, bamboo fibre in replacing compos-

ite material, and cellulose from bamboo as

water-resistant material, and production of

biological clothes or nylon bags.

The Equator Prize is an award for initiativesin natural resource conservation that meets

the goal of poverty reduction, community

development, gender equality, focusing on

women, environmental protection, and serv-

ing sustainable development.Equator Prize 2010 winners will be celebrated

at a high level event at the American Museum

of Natural History on September 20, 2010.

Representatives from winning communities

will also participate in the Community Sum-

mit dialogue space, to be held in conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly in

New York.

Vietnam’s bamboo honoured in the world

HCMC to start work on

11-kilometre metro project



VIETNAM NEWS VIETNAM NEWS10

International sailing festivalpromises more than tourism benefits



VIETNAM NEWS 11

The first internationalsailing festival to be

held later this year inthe central coastal prov-ince of Binh Thuan has

the potential to boostsocio-economic devel-

opment in general, not just the tourism sector.

The event, held by the Binh Thuan provincial People’s Committee in collabora-tion with several agencies including the

Vietnam National Administration of Tour-ism and the Ministry of Trade, will take

place in the popular beach resort town of Mui Ne on December 8-11.

It is expected that 20 countries will par-ticipate in the festival, herald the development of a yachting industry in the

country.

Lam Quang Hien, director of the prov-ince’s Department of Culture, Sports andTourism, said the event would attract

visitors to Binh Thuan and introduce anew entertainment product to tourists.The organizer expects representatives

of around 150 yachting companies tocome.

Director of the Dan Han InternationalEntertainment Company, one of the or-

ganisers, Mai Quoc Viet said the festival,intended to be an annual event, wouldcomprise three main activities: sailing

exhibition, concerts and internationalconferences on marine economy andtourism.

In a letter sent to the organisers, Hoang

Tuan Anh, Minister of Culture, Sports andTourism, said the festival was one of manyactivities celebrating the 1,000th anniver-

sary of Hanoi as well as the National Year

of Tourism in the central coastal prov-inces.

The festival was also an opportunity todiversify tourism products, introduce the

beauty of the Vietnamese coast to inter-national visitors, and boost the image of

Vietnam in general, he said.

Roi Shuhami of www.4yachting.com, a

web platform of Yachting websites in 30countries including Vietnam , said thefestival would bring more business op-

portunities, more jobs, more revenueand more foreign investment into the

country.

“When the country has a yachting indus-

try, there will be boat yards that will cre-ate more jobs,” the Israeli national said,adding that the global yachting industry

generates revenues of over 15 billionUSD a year.

“The festival will also bring to Vietnammany tourists and many of them are rich

businessmen who can be potential investors.”

With a long, beautiful coast like Vietnam,Turkey now has a yachting industry thathas created 50,000 jobs in the industry it-

self and 70,000 jobs in supporting indus-tries, Shuhami said.

Turkey earns annual revenues of 3 bil-lion USD from the yachting industry and

about 5 billion USD in foreign investmenthas come in through investors who cameto know Turkey through its international

sailing festival, he added.

Further information about the festival inMui Ne can be obtained at www.interna-tionalsailing-festival.com./.



VIETNAM NEWS12

Vietnamese American Hotel and Resort Co., a whollyowned subsidiary of the U.S. investment firm ITC

Spectrum LLC., signed hotel management agree-

ments with three world leading hotel operating

companies in Quy Nhon City, Vietnam.

The three partners of VAHR are Marriott Interna-

tional, Ritz-Carlton, and Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Asia, a subsidiary of Honolulu-based Outrigger

Enterprises Group.

Marriott International, Ritz-Carlton, and Outrigger

will manage three resort projects inside what is

called the US$250 million Vinh Hoi Bay Golf Resort, a

325-hectare oceanfront, fully-integrated, mixed-use

development which will initially include the threeprojects.

They include the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott prop-

erties, a championship 18-hole golf course designed

by Robert Trent Jones II, residential villas, a retail vil-

lage, an arboretum and other recreational amenities.

The Outrigger Vinh Hoi Bay Resort and Spa with 210

rooms and 46 private villas will start construction inmid-2011, and is expected to open for business at the

end of 2013.

The 100-villa Vinh Hoi Bay – A Ritz-Carlton Reserve,

and the 320-room JW Marriott Vinh Hoi Bay Resort &

Spa are expected to begin construction in early 2012

and be completed in 2014.

Later phase of the development will feature threeadditional resorts, more residential properties, an

equestrian center, a marina and other amenities.

Vinh Hoi Bay Golf Resort is 25 kilometers north of

Quy Nhon City in Binh Dinh Province of, and 20

minutes away from Phu Cat Airport in the centralprovince.

Tran Duc Canh, Chairman and CEO of Vietnamese- American Hotel and Resort, said in Quy Nhon, “We

are very pleased to have these prestigious American

brands be a part of the Vinh Hoi Bay development.

Speaking for Marriott International, Mr. Edwin Fuller,

President and Managing Director, Lodging Inter-

national, said, “We are delighted with this visionary

opportunity to further expand our lodging portfolioin Vietnam. These resorts will rank among the best,

most luxurious properties in Asia and we are hon-

ored to participate in the emergence of Vietnam as world-class resort destination.”

Quy Nhon City is located in the middle of Danang

and Nha Trang on the central coast. Its origins dateback to the 11th century and the Champa kingdom

for which its legacy – Cham culture’s temple com-

plexes – can be seen throughout Quy Nhon.

Developer inks

multiple hotelmanagement deals



VIETNAM NEWS


13

The Ha Thanh Food Festival2010, which will open on Octo-ber 6 at West Lake Water Park,

is a major event being held overthe course of 10 days to cel-ebrate the one thousandth anniversary of Hanoi. ItDeputy Director of the HanoiTourism Corporation, Tran ThiBach Yen, said “The festival aimsto honour 1,000 years of Hanoiand to popularise the culturaland spiritual values of Hanoi’sand other regions’ foods,” saida representative of the festival’sorganisation board.

“The festival will show images of the traditional trades and lives of people in the past. Images fromDong Xuan, Dong Ba and BenThanh markets were selectedto represent the northern, cen-tral and southern regions,” said Yen.During the event, visitors willhave a chance to discover Viet-nam’s culture through essentialfoods and drinks, representingcuisines from all corners of thecountry.

The event will also showcaseimages of the flower village, oldscholars and traditional games,along with three paintingsand photo exhibitions with thethemes: Hanoi Moments, Hanoiin my Heart and Hanoi Streets.

to celebrate 1000th

anniversary of Hanoi



VIETNAM NEWS


The adjusted master plan to devel-

op Phu Quoc to 2030 was revealed

by Vietnamese government. Under

this new master plan, all projects

in the island district must be reviewed. Any

on-going projects and future developments

are considered inappropriate with the new

plan will be temporarily stopped until in-

vestors alter their investments to cope with

the new plan.

By 2030, Phu Quoc will become a special

economic and administrative center of

Vietnam as well as a major tourism destina-

tion with many domestic and international

resorts and entertainments. It is estimated

that Phu Quoc will welcome five to seven

million domestic and international tourists

per year. The plan turns the Island district

into a forest and marine preservation center

and urban developments.

Phu Quoc district is formed by Phu Quoc

Island - the biggest island in Vietnam – and

21 surrounding islands with the approxi-

mate total area of 600 square kilometers,

the same as Singapore. Forty-five domestic

and foreign-invested projects have been

granted licensed with a total investment

capital of nearly US$ 3 billion dollars.

Another eighteen projects have also givenapproval in principle. Famous destinations

such as Bai Ong Lem, Bai Dat Do, Bai Sau,

Bai Trem are center of majority tourism de-

velopment projects. These are foreign in-

vestments in high-end villas, resorts, hotels,

golf courses and apartment for lease such

as Berjaya Long Beach resort, Veranda and

Miramar.

The biggest project was licensed in Phu

Quoc is the British Virgin Island Starbay

with the initial investment capital of US$

1.65 billion which was raised to US$ 1.8billion last year. The project will develop

Dai Beach resort in an area of 540 hectares

of Dai beach located in the island’s Ganh

Dau commune. When finishing, which is

expected within 12 years of development,

the resort will include luxury villas, two golf

courses, deluxe beach-front hotels, condos,

water lagoons as well as other entertain-

ment and commercial facilities.

Phu Quoc Island

unveils new master plan to 2030

14

http://www1.messe-berlin.de/vip8_1/website/Internet/Internet/www.itb-asia/englisch/index.html



VIETNAM NEWS


The number of foreign visitors to Vietnam in August rose by 38 percent from a year ear-lier, reaching more than 430,000 despite the off-season.

According to the General Statistic Office, most of Vietnam’s major tourist markets stillmaintain high growth, with Cambodia topping the list (247 percent), followed by China(101 percent), Australia (over 77 percent) and Thailand (over 74 percent).

Since the beginning of the year, the country has welcomed 3,3 million international visi-tors, a year-on-year increase of 35 percent.

South Korea, China and Cambodia remain the largest markets of Vietnam. Annually, thecountry receives 400,000 Korean tourists. In July, the Southeast Asia country received

36,827 tourists from the East Asian nation, up 3,9% on month and 54% on year.The experts forecast that the number of foreign tourists to Vietnam would continue toincrease from now to the end of the year due to various important celebrations in thecountry including the 1000 th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi and the 2010 International

Yacht Festival in Mui Ne, the southern province of Binh Thuan. As part of the tourism stimulus programme which a sales campaign will be launched inHo Chi Minh City with estimated discounts of 10-50 percent.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s HCMC

Office has announced five Vietnam travelagencies that have won The Friends of

Thailand awards.

The five are Saigontourist Travel Service,

Vietravel Marketing and Tourist Company,Tan Dinh Trade and Travel Service Com-pany (known as Fiditourist), Ben Thanh

Tourist, and TST Tourist.

Vietravel, one of the five award winners,

says that over the past ten years, the num-ber of tourists traveling to Thailand underits arrangement has leapt over 20 times. Its

average tourism growth for the Thailandsector is 25-35%.

In the first six months of the year, the num-ber of people booking Thailand tours at Vietravel was nearly 15,000, and the tour

operator expects to arrange tours to Thai-land for a total of 25,000 tourists, up 20%from last year.

Every year, Thailand welcomes around

14 million international tourists, includ-ing 30,000 from Vietnam, according to the

Tourism Authority of Thailand.

The Friends of Thailand awards are de-

signed to honor individuals, organizationsand tourism companies in recognition of their contributions to the tourism develop-

ment of the “Land of Smile”. The interna-tional press award is for articles that intro-duce and promote images, country, people

and new tourist destinations in Thailand.

The Friends of Thailand was launched by

Tourism Authority of Thailand in 1996 andevery two years, the awards are presentedto contributors to Thai tourism. The 2010

award ceremony will be held in Bangkokin late September.

Foreign visitors to

Vietnam rise sharply

Five travel operators win the

Friends of Thailand Award

Five travel operators win the

Friends of Thailand Award

15

mailto:%[email protected]



days to come


1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi

An essay contest about Hanoi has received over 554,000 entriesand the most outstanding ones will be awarded during the cel-ebration of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi in Octo-ber.

Launched in November 2009, the contest has drawn a large num-ber of participants from across the country and overseas.Historical Prof. Le Van Lan said that the entries presented carefullyresearch and study through documents. They are works in history,geography, people and customs and habits of the land of 1,000 years of culture. Essays of contestants showed their feelings andlove with the Hanoi capital city.Henrri Guillon is the first foreigner from France to have submit-ted his essay, one hundred-year-old Vu Duy Binh from Hanoi is theoldest entrant and Vu Ngoc Ha from Chu Van An primary school isthe youngest. After gathering all entries in localities, the contest’s organizingboard will select excellent works with good presentation to be

awarded on the anniversary of 1,000 years of Thang Long – Ha-noi.The organizing board will award a special prize worth VND 20 mil-lion for an excellent group, a special prize worth VND 10 millionfor an individual, and numerous prize worth from VND1 million to VND 10 million. R

e c e

i v e d o v e r 5

5 4 , 0 0 0 e n t r i e s

s t u d y i n g a b o u t H a n o i ’ s t h o u s a n d y e a r

s



Numerous art and cultural activities have been held in Ha-noi to celebrate the capital city’s millennium birthday on10 October. The Thang Long Art Ornamental Plant Asso-

ciation opened two exhibitions of ornamental trees and stones atLy Thai To and Indira Gandhi parks on 25 August in Hanoi.

At Ly Thai To Park, near Hoan Kiem lake, in central Hanoi, over 550ornamental trees of various species and nearly 100 works of artmade of stone are on display. Many of them have been kept andcared for by their families over many generations.

The exhibition at Ly Thai To Park will run until September 20 and

the one in Indira Gandhi Park will close on 30 October.

According to Luu Minh Tri, President of the Thang Long Art Or-namental Plant Association, a larger exhibition will be held at theHanoi Museum from 25 September – 30 October.

Twelve groups of puppeteers from overseas will join five Vietnam-

ese groups to take part in the second International Puppetry Fes-tival in Hanoi from 4-9 September. Of the 12 foreign groups, thepuppeteers from Egypt, Israel and Cuba are visiting Vietnam forthe first time.

The festival’s opening ceremony will be held at the Hanoi OperaHouse and the winner of the gold cup will also receive an awardof 1,000 USD.

Later, from October 6-11, the Ha Thanh Culinary Festival will beheld at Ho Tay (West Lake ) Park as one of the major activities tomark the city’s birthday. The festival will attract tourist and travel

agencies from all 63 cities and provinces across the country as well as foreign embassies and enterprises in Vietnam. The fes-tival will take place on a 8ha site with separate areas for cuisine,Hanoian culture and folk games.

There will be 130 stalls selling special dishes from every part of Vietnam, with a special focus on traditional Hanoian dishes.

Various art and cultural activities

to mark Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary

days to come





VIETNAM NEWS


days to come



550 bonsai trees are on display at a bonsai art exhibition whichopened in Hanoi on August 25th to mark the 65th August revolution-ary (Aug.19) and the National Independence Day (Sep.2).The bonsai tree by painter Xuan Cuong at the foot of a century-oldtree with big roots clinging to a stone is a base for branches to riseup and spread out in a certain position.

The other bonsais create people the feeling of warmth, happinessand abundance. At the exhibition, there are also 100 works made with different kindsof rare stones.The exhibition will be open through September 20th 2010.

T he Thang Long-Hanoi International Tourism Festival,part of a program during the National Tourism Year

2010, will take place at Bao Son Paradise Theme Park inHanoi from October 2-5 to mark the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.“Themed ‘Thang Long- Hanoi-convergence of 1000 years’, this will be the biggest event held to welcome the1,000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi and the 50thanniversary of the Vietnam Tourism Industry,” said DeputyDirector of the Hanoi city Department of Culture, Sportsand Tourism, Mai Tien Dung, at a press conference on August 24.

The upcoming event, with various artistic and cultural ac-tivities, will see the participation of local people, domes-tic and foreign travel agencies, businesses and organisa-tions. The opening ceremony will be broadcast live on VTV channels on October 2nd.Hanoi and Vietnam’s tourism potentials and products will be promoted during the event. The festival is a goodchance for domestic travel agencies to seek business op-portunities with foreign partners. According to the organising board, the festival, the mostimportant event of the 2010 National Tourism Year hostedby Hanoi municipal People’s Committee, is expected todraw around 30,000 visitors per day. There will be about376 pavillions displaying Vietnam and other countries’tourist products and a wide range of cultural and culinaryactivities during the festival.The festival will recreate the daily life of Hanoians at theend of the 19th century and the early 20th century. They will also exhibit the life and work of many famous craft villages like Quat Dong Embroidery, Bat Trang Pottery orHa Thai Lacquer.

Bonsai art exhibition

to welcome Hanoi’s

millennial years

International Tourism Festival to be

held with Hanoi’s millennial years



H anoi, 1000 years old capital witha long-standing history, diverse

and national character-rich culturaltraditions, is a worthy tourism centerof Vietnam. Hanoi has always beenthe place which attracts the most

both domestic and internationaltourists. The coming event – ThangLong Hanoi thousand years of civi-lization - holds in next October willbe one important event of Hanoi andVietnam travel.Getting out the noisy beat of a newindustry city, Hanoi will seem toback in magnanimous history. A lotof Vietnam traditional festival willbe held: “Ao Dai” festival, “Den Do”festival… Tourists will have chancesto see the pure beauty of Vietnam-ese woman in traditional costume,

the Vietnam national spirit throughspecial kungfu, drum performancesand hundreds of other surprises.Have you ever been in Hanoi, Viet-nam? Whether you did or not, theenthusiastic atmosphere in nationalfestival will hit you hard. All historyplaces: Sword Lake, museums…have been decorated to welcomethe event and you, absolutely. Thistime of the year is the time Hanoibecomes the most seductive in “hoasua” fragrancy.

Hanoi – Vietnam thousand years of civilization is the important event of the Vietnamese race. Tourists willsee there a new wonderful face of Hanoi. The event is the big chancefor Vietnam to introduce all the inter-national friends the beauty, historyand culture of Vietnam.

H a n o i

t h o u s a n d y e a r s o f c i v i l i z a t i o

n



VIETNAM NEWS


http://itehcmc.com/2010/








VIETNAM NEWS










INTERNATIONAL NEWS


22

A delegation from Cambodia will

travel to Japan in November to

select a company to build the Neak

Loeung Bridge, which will span the

Mekong River, providing quicker

connections on the route between

Phnom Penh and Vietnam. Thebridge, to be located in Cambodia’s

southeastern Kandal province, will

be the country’s longest and most

expensive bridge on completion in

2015. Construction is expected to

start next year.

The first large group of cross-Strait

medical tourists from mainland

China will arrive in Taiwan on 19

September for a six-day visit. The

group, from Jiangsu province, will

undergo health checks and sight-

seeing tours during the visit, whichhas been arranged by Shin Kong

Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital in

Taipei and the Jiangsu China Travel

Service (JSCTS).

The tourism heads of China, Japan and South Korea aim to welcome 26 million people to their three countries by 2015.

A total of 13.5 million people traveled among the three East Asian countries in 2009, and their earlier goal of 17 million“inter-visitations” in 2010 is expected to be achieved.

“It is significant that the three countries set a target andconfirmed what must be done to that end,” Land, Infrastruc-

ture, Transport, and Tourism Minister Seiji Maehara said aftersigning the statement.

According to Kyodo News, the target was announced in

a joint statement from the trilateral meeting in Hangzhou, which brought together Chinese National Tourism Admin-

istration (CNTA) Chairman Shao Qiwei, Japan’s Minister forLand, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism Seiji Maehara, andSouth Korean Culture, Sports & Tourism Minister Yu In Chon.

“Although allowing foreign travel agencies the business maybring some challenges especially at the initial state, in thelong term it will benefit China’s tourism industry,” the China

Daily quoted the CNTA Chairman as saying, adding thatChina was “preparing to revise laws” in relation to this. The

number of Japanese tourists to China increased 23% to 2,17million tourists in the first seven months of this year, whileSouth Korean visitors to China climbed 27% to 2,35 million,

according to official data. The Hangzhou event marked thefifth trilateral ministerial tourism meeting between China, Japan and South Korea.

Orion Expedition Cruises has an-

nounced that it will waive the single

supplement surcharge applied on

all sailings from 16 September to 21

December 2010. Five cabins will be

reserved for single occupancy on

voyages including the Kimberley,

Forgotten Islands, Papua New Guin-

ea, Great Barrier Reef, Australian

East Coast, Tasmania, New Zealand

Sub-Antarctic and New Zealand

Fjordland itineraries.

The European hotel giant posted

a net profit of EUR12 million for

the six months of 2010, from the

EUR150 million net loss it regis-

tered in the same period last year.

The group’s consolidated revenue

climbed 4,7% yearly to EUR2,85

billion. The group has also reducedits net debt by EUR600 million to

EUR650 million in 2010, as part of its

2010-13 asset disposal plan. Hotels

revenue for the first half of 2010

totaled EUR2,72 million, an increase

of 5.1% like-for-like.

Cambodia plans

longest Mekong bridge

Taiwan to welcome

cross-Strait medical

tourists

China, Japan and

Korea aim to welcome

26 million tourists by 2015

Orion to waive single

supplements

Accor reports strong

first-half figures

http://www.la-residence-hue.com/



INTERNATIONAL NEWSINTERNATIONAL NEWS 23

Phuket is leading Thailand’s dramatic

tourism recovery in 2010, though the trueimpact of a shift in its tourist profile is yetto be seen.

Passenger traffic through Phuket Interna-tional Airport increased 28 percent in thefirst half of 2010 compared to the sameperiod in 2009, according to a report from

C9 Hotelworks. Driving the tourism surgeto the pre-economic crisis levels of 2007 was a shift in tourist profile.

“Market dynamics are evolving with a

game-changing shift in tourist profile froma historical Eurocentric dependence onlong haul European visitors to short haul

Asian travellers,” C9 Hotelworks Manag-

ing Director Bill Barnett said.

“Driving this trend is the weakening of theeuro and pound sterling which have jolted

market sentiment and transformed travel

patterns to the resort island destination.”

The favourable forex for proximal touristshas translated to a jump in airline passen-

ger traffic of 1.74 million in the first half of

2010 compared to last year.

Year-on-year data over the past five yearsrevealed that passenger volumes had hit

the boom levels of 2007.

The tourism boom has the hospitality

industry bullish after recent local and in-ternational incidents had stymied growth.

Hotel occupancies rose from 61 percentin the first half of 2009 to 70 percent in the

same period of this year, Mr Barnett said.

However, this came at a cost of aver-

age room rates, which were down ninepercent. “The latter part of this year’s third

quarter is seeing positive pick up in the

market, which is a good sign given that it

is traditionally low season on the island,”Chairman and CEO of Minor Group Inter-national Bill Heinecke said.

“Following recent events and low seasondemand...we are delighted to see that wehave better results than last year.

With regards to the fourth quarter, wehave already seen positive signs forstrong bookings coming in for October,

November and December, so we remainpositive that there will be 15 percent year-

on-year growth.”

The political crises in Bangkok during

April and May caused a 38 percent drop

in the second quarter of 2010, but their ef-fect on the hotel industry was offset by the

tourist high season and increasing directinternational flights, Mr Barnett said.

Phuket leads Thailand’s

tourism back to boom levels

http://www.brandsavvy.com.vn/



INTERNATIONAL NEWS


24

A critical legacy for the nation is establishing andembedding Destination South Africa as one of the

most inspiring, inviting,g and enjoyable tourist

destination in the world. South Africa must ensurethat the 2010 FIFA World Cup’s spotlight on Des-

tination South Africa continues to shine long after

the games conclude. This can only be achievedthrough effective, enduring, industry engaging

promotion of the destination.”

Critical to maintaining momentum of interest in thedestination after the games, is achieving unprec-

edented levels of exposure by the leaders of the

travel trade from across the world.

As a result, the tourism sector of South Africa is

excited to announce that, for the first time in the

history of South Africa as a premier tourism desti-nation, over 350 of the world’s travel trade decision

makers will be visiting South Africa this comingOctober as delegates of the nation’s most impor-

tant Mega-FAM Trip - The Travel Corporation’s(TTC) 2010 International Sales Conference.

At the start of each decade, with great anticipationand excitement, TTC brings together its globally

leading key personnel and sales managers, en-compassing its different brands and businesses

from around the world. Held with great insight and

impact in Beijing in 2000, the 2010 conference des-tination will be held in Cape Town.

The 2010 conference will take the form of an incen-

tive trip for over 350 of the company’s top perform-ing personnel (30 percent executives, 70 percent

sales), all A-List business leaders and vital deci-sion makers for destinations seeking to competeand win on the global tourism stage.

At present, 50 percent of attendees currently sell

Destination South Africa, which translates to po-tential for 100 percent destination growth from this

conference through direct exposure to this new

sales destination for the remaining 50 percent not yet selling Destination South Africa.

Delegates represent the following priority travel

trade source markets - all of which are important to

Destination SOUTH AFRICA: the USA (over 100 del-egates); Australia (over 80 delegates); Europe - in-

cluding UK, Italy, France, Greece, and Switzerland(over 50 delegates); Canada (over 40 delegates);

Asia - including China, Japan, and Singapore (over

20 delegates); and NZ (over 10 delegates).

The 2010 TTC Conference will act as an extended,

extensive exposure of South Africa through the

keyhole of Cape Town and the Western Cape.

In addition to business discussion and debate withsome of the world’s most powerful business think-

ers and sellers in the travel and tourism sector, del-

egates will have several opportunities to see, taste,touch, hear, and feel Destination SOUTH AFRICA.

Together, the events of the TTC 2010 Conferenceprovides an unprecedented opportunity for the

global travel trade leaders to see, first-hand, the

value of promoting and selling Destination South Africa.

The year 2010 represents a golden opportunity for South Africa as a nation

to win not just on the football field as host nation of the 2010 FIFA WORLD

CUP, but on the global tourism stage. The reality, however, is that the endof the 2010 Games do not mark the end of the work, they mark the beginning.

And for Destination South Africa, the tourism industry is firmly in extra time.

As stated by Mr. Jabu Mabuza, chairman of South African Tourism: “2010 is a year of immense importance for South Africa.

Following six years of commitment and significant investment by all South Afri-

cans towards delivery of a successful 2010 FIFA World Cup - the best World Cupever in the opinion of FIFA and the millions of people who took part across the

nation and the world - South Africa has proven how truly alive with possibility

this nation is.

But for South Africa, success in 2010 is about more than the games. It is about the

legacy, which the games leave behind.

The future of tourism

in South Africabeyond 2010



INTERNATIONAL NEWS


Abu Dhabi saw a 16% rise in the num-

ber guests staying in the emirate’s 116licensed hotels and hotel apartments lastmonth compared to July 2009.

Guest numbers rose to 137,714 with thenumbers of nights stayed totaling 376,439– a 24% increase on July 2009. The aver-

age length of stay also increased by 6% tostand at 2.73 nights.

The figures, just released by Abu DhabiTourism Authority (ADTA), make July theninth consecutive month of double-digit

guests growth for the emirate with, for thefirst time, international market growth of 29% outstripping domestic growth, which

turned in a 4% increase.

The UAE still accounted for the largest

number of guests in July with some 63,027staying in the emirate’s hotels while theUK came in as the largest international

market with some 7,101 guests – a 27%rise on July 2009. Saudi Arabia also turned

in substantial growth of 47% with some4,682 guests from the Kingdom staying in Abu Dhabi’s accommodation during the

month while guests from France increased36% to 2,070.

Additional room capacity continued todrive down overall occupancy levels which are 13% lower than July 2009 with

average room rates down by 23%. Hotel

apartments achieved a healthier 72% oc-

cupancy rate against their hotel counter-parts which managed 54%.

“Growth in what is traditionally a slow

summer month for Abu Dhabi is immense-ly encouraging,” said His ExcellencyMubarak Al Muhairi, Director General,

ADTA. “Our guest performance this yearhas now gone over the million mark leav-

ing us well placed to meet, if not exceed,our 2010 target of 1.65 million.

“We are confident because of what lies

ahead in the coming months for AbuDhabi with the October launch of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi which we believe will

have strong regional and internationalappeal and November’s staging of the

Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which is

shaping up to be an thrilling finale for theF1 season.

“In addition we have a strong business

tourism line-up with a highlight beingthis November’s staging of the inaugu-ral World Green Tourism Summit Abu

Dhabi which has a powerful internationalspeaker and exhibitor line-up.”

Some 1,074,293 guests have stayed in AbuDhabi’s hotels and hotel apartments from January to July end this year – a 16% in-

crease on the same period last year. Foodand beverage revenues have grown 14%over the same comparative period and

now account for 35% of all hotel revenues.

25INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Abu Dhabi hotel

sector saws a 16% rise in July

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi



INTERNATIONAL NEWS


26

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has been rec-

ognised as the most environmentally and sociallyresponsible hotelier in Australasia, after beingawarded the inaugural Responsible Travel Manage-

ment Award (RTM) by the National Business Travel Association (NBTA).

Announcing the award at last night’s Excellence Award Dinner during its annual Regional BusinessTravel Conference in Melbourne, the NBTA recogn-

ised IHG’s corporate responsibility practices as theclear benchmark for sustainability in hotels in Aus-

tralia and New Zealand.

Citing the sheer depth and diversity of IHG’s com-

prehensive corporate responsibility program inawarding the accolade, NBTA offered praise for the years of effort and resources that have been commit-

ted to making IHG’s hotels and business practicesas environmentally sustainable and socially respon-

sible as possible.

Of particular note were IHG’s extensive efforts in

providing training, employment and community development opportunities for Indigenous Australians,as part of the company’s broad corporate responsi-

bility commitments.

“We’ve spent years changing the way we do business

across every one of our InterContinental, CrownePlaza and Holiday Inn hotels, to cut the volume of

natural resources being consumed – such as waterand energy – and reduce the amount of waste being

sent to landfill, and find new ways to foster the socialand economic development of the local communi-ties we do business in,” said IHG Australasia’s direc-tor of corporate responsibility, Frank Hubbard.

“This process has required personal commitments

at every level of the business, to get IHG to the point where it is starting to make a difference. It’s requirednothing less than fundamental shifts in how we run

our hotels and engage with our communities, but thepositive results of these efforts are more than worththe effort.”

“Time and again, we’ve been able to prove that re-sponsible business is good business – and receivingrecognition for our commitment from major industryorganisations like the NBTA certainly spurs us on,”

Frank said.

IHG’s environmental policies cover every area of the

global business – from sustainable design, develop-ment and operation of hotels through to engagementof customers, colleagues and business partners.

Underpinning all this are proprietary systems andpartnerships to monitor, benchmark and audit the

environmental performance of every one of IHG’s

hotels.

The NBTA’s inaugural Responsible Travel Manage-ment Award for Australasia was judged by a selec-tion of NBTA Board members and independent ex-

perts in sustainability and climate change.

I H G

n am e d A u

st r al a si a’ s

m o st s u st a

i n a b l eh ot e

l i er

Cortile Lounge at Intercontinental Hotel Sydney



INTERNATIONAL NEWS 27

The Andara Resort & Villas in Phuket is to host a fashion runway show to benefit the

children’s education charity - Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation.

On the afternoon of Sunday, 12 September, local and international fashionistas will

join media to support the cause and be the first to see this season’s hottest collec-tion. The event will debut ‘Nude is Rude,’ the new label from Hong Kong-based

designer Marisa Zeman. Guests will enjoy the relaxed afternoon ambiance of aSt.Tropez-style runway show at Silk Restaurant & Bar, dine on delicious tapas lunchand sip refreshing cocktails.

The event will cap off with a raffle for special prizes such as 2-night stay at Andara,trip to Chiang Mai, Spa treatments, tickets to Silk’s Italian Wine Dinner in October,

and Private Pilates training.

Full ticket, auction and raffle proceeds will benefit Phuket Has Been Good To Us

Foundation which works to improve the economic opportunities and life chancesof young people, by funding and implementing high quality, practical English lan-

guage education in government schools on Phuket Island. If you are unable to at-tend the event but would like to make a donation to the organization please visit www.phukethasbeengoodtous.org .

Ticket price is 1,000 THB, including tapas lunch, 2 drinks and entrance to the runway

show. To stay with us at Andara during this event, we offer special rates through our Andara Summer Escape package starting at 580USD per person for 2-nights stay ina luxurious 1-bedroom terrace suite.

PROGRAM:

11:00am Meet the Press12pm Guests Arrive and Check-in @ Andara Main Lobby1pm Runway Show @ Silk Restaurant & Bar

2pm Guests enjoy delicious Tapas and cocktails3pm Raffle for fabulous prizes like 2-nights stay at Andara, trip to Chiang Mai,

Spa treatments, tickets to Silk’s Italian Wine Dinner in October, and Private Pilatestraining

Andara Resort & Villas Phuket

to host Charity Fashion Show



INTERNATIONAL NEWS


Private Spa

Wellness Centre

opens in Bali

Private Spa

Wellness Centre

opens in Bali



INTERNATIONAL NEWS


The ultimate spa sanctuary, The Private Spa

Wellness Centre, will soon open its doors

in the stylish strip of Seminyak, Bali. Using

state-of-the-art equipments, the spa bringsforth ancient Asian rituals to the next level. This Well-

ness Centre boasts a range of facilities designed notonly to rejuvenate but also maintain your wellbeing

in a relaxed yet energizing setting.

The Private Spa Wellness Centre has been engi-neered as an opulent wellness facility where per-

sonal indulgence takes on a whole new meaning.

A choice of seven exclusive treatment rooms and

high-end spa facilities such as vitality pool, steam

room and Far Sauna are available. The Private Spa

Wellness Centre is also one of the first spas in the world to feature hydrothermal biotherapy treatment,

which promotes fitness and health restoration. The

bio-charge supplied by this Water Energy System

will help reinforce the body’s immune system andincrease overall energy.

The spa menu is tailored by experts, with 50 years

of combined experience in the industry to create a

spa ritual beyond pampering. The core menu con-

sists of Stress Prevention Delights, including body

work, body care, traditional therapies, and signa-ture rituals, as well as Beauty Fashion that include

facial care, nail care, and pulse light hair removal

services as well as unique Wellness section with Bio

thermal Hydrotherapy, Chakra balancing, LED light

Chromotherapy and energy levels diagnosis. Facial

treatments will be performed using result-basedproducts, such as the award-winning Pevonia Bo-

tanica skin care line and Banyu Spa natural products

specially engineered in the on site laboratory.

The Private Spa Wellness Centre strives to becomethe icon of the spa industry in Bali and beyond. This

spa is the turn-key project of The Private Spa Cor-

poration, a hub of expertise covering all aspects of

a Spa development, from the initial conceptualizing

until the final delivery of specially crafted spa treat-

ments and equipments. The Wellness Centre willdisplay the Corporation’s vision to invent a definitive

spa journey to ensure every treatment has a positiveimpact on the guest’s wellbeing.

In The Private Spa Wellness Center, luxury comes in

environmentally friendly. Minimizing its carbon foot-print, The Private Spa Corporation keeps 90% of the

productions created in Bali. The furniture and ac-

cessories are manufactured using recycled woods,

stones, glass and terrazzo, while the water used for

the vichy shower is also recycled.

The people behind this phenomenal health and

beauty Sanctuary are Ian Lyons, Fabrice Garrigues

and Erika Dewi. Ian Lyons is the Chairman of The

Private Spa Corporation, an expert in energy phys-ics and crystal hydro technology, carrying morethan 27 years of experience in hydrotherapies and

alternative medicines in energy fields. Fabrice Gar-

rigues is the Managing Director of The Private Spa

Corporation and the strategic backbone of the com-

pany, while Erika Dewi as Manager of Operations is

a qualified master in traditional therapies, special-izing in aromatherapy product manufacturing and

training.

“With a dedicated team of healers, craftsmen and

designers ready and eager to bring the best result

based spa services, I believe the opening of ThePrivate Spa Wellness Center heralds a new and ex-

citing era for Bali as the Spa capital of the world,”

claims Fabrice Garrigues. “Together, we are deter-

mined that the Wellness Centre will be a success

and bring benefits to the community of Bali, as it willredefine the meaning of Healing paradise.”



INTERNATIONAL NEWS


Hilton Hotels has joined the Thai market-

ing cooperative Golf in a Kingdom: TheThai Golf Experience.

As new hotel partners, Hilton propertiesacross Thailand - in Bangkok, Pattaya,

Hua Hin and Phuket - are now preferredlodging options, along side some of the

country’s top golf courses, in a varietyof stay-and-play itineraries offered andexecuted by tour operator Golfasian. The

four Hilton properties that have joinedGolf in a Kingdom include:

Hilton Pattaya: Located in the heart of thiscoastal city, overlooking Pattaya Beach,and situated atop the new Central Festi-

val Pattaya Beach complex, with its 200international-caliber shops, restaurants,

cinemas and recreational facilities.

Millennium Hilton Bangkok: Standing on

the banks of the Chao Praya River andboasting sweeping city views of the Thaicapital.

Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa: The

resort is set on Karon Beach and compris-es 75 acres of lush tropical gardens.

Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa: A 17-storytower in the center of this coastal beach-side town overrlooks the Gulf of Thailand

and serves as home to distinctive mix

of dining options, including the Hua HinBrewery Company, a former fisherman’s

shack dating from 1923.

“I think it’s instructive for traveling golfers

in Europe and North America to recog-nize that Thailand is equipped with 5-starhotel brands like Hilton, and Marriott,

along with world-class golf, superb food,unmatched nightlife and a first-world,

modern transportation infrastructure,”

said Mark Siegel, CEO of Bangkok-basedGolfasian. “Of course, there is a difference

- Thailand is tropically temperate 365 daysa year and golfers can spend a week herefor a fraction of what they’d pay in Euro-

pean or North American destinations.”

Play and Stay options through Golfasianare available at some of the best coursesin Thailand including:

- Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin, voted topnew course in Asia by readers of Asian

Golf Monthly in 2009- Chiang Mai Highlands Golf & SpaResort, recently voted the top course in

Southeast Asia by SEA Globe magazine.- Muang Kaew Golf Club, a lush urban

retreat in the heart of Bangkok.- The Old Course at Siam Country Club inPattaya, host of the 2010 Honda PTT LPGA

- Siam Country Club’s Plantation Course,host of the same LPGA event in 2009- Thai Country Club in Bangkok, voted

‘Best Championship Course in Asia’, as voted by Asian Golf Monthly readers in

2008.- Black Mountain Golf Club, just three years old but already a bona fide “cham-

pionship” layout, having played host tothe Asian Tour’s Black Mountain Mastersin 2009.

Hilton Hotels in Thailand

join Golf Consortium

30

Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa

http://tca.gfcexpo.com/



INTERNATIONAL NEWS










AVIATION NEWS


I n d i a n a i r l i n e

J e t A i r w a y s

s a i d o n M o n

d a y t h a t

i t w i l l c l o s e

a l l c h e c k - i n

c o u n t e r s 4

5 m i n u t e s

p r i o r t o d e p

a r t u r e i n t h e

s i x m a j o r m

e t r o s o f

M u m b a i, D e

l h i, C h e n n a i.

T h e n e w c l

o s u r e t i m e,

w h i c h i s 1

5 m i n u t e s

e a r l i e r, a p p

l i e s t o J e t A i

r w a y s, J e t L i

t e a n d J e t

A i r w a y s K o

n n e c t s e r v i

c e s a n d i s

b e i n g i m -

p l e m e n t e d f

r o m W e d n e s

d a y t o c o m p

l y w i t h

a n e w d i r e c

t i v e f r o m t h

e D i r e c t o r G

e n e r a l o f

C i v i l A v

i a t i o n ( D G C

A ).

T o a v o i d p

r o b l e m s, c u s t o m e r s a r

e e n c o u r -

a g e d t o u s e

J e t A i r w a y

s ’ o n l i n e c h e c k - i n,

w h i c h a l l o w

s t h e m t o p

r i n t t h e i r b o

a r d i n g

p a s s e s a n d

c h o o s e s e

a t s o r i t s s e

l f - s e r v i c e

k i o s k s a t s e l e

c t e d a i r p o r t s

. U s i n g a n y

o f t h e s e

o p t i o n s e a r n

s t h e m 2 5 0 B

o n u s J P M I l e

s.

Myanmar will suspend visa-on-arrival services at Yangon In-

ternational Airport from September 1, 2010, the Department

of Immigration and National Registration has announced.

The visa on arrival policy was implemented on May 1 of this

year, and will resume in late November 2010.

A department spokesperson said they halted the procedurein order to review the system. Visitors will now have to apply

for visas through the Myanmar embassy nearest them.

Myanmar observers, however, speculate that the move may

have something to do with the country’s first general elec-

tions in 20 years on November 7, and be a way of restricting

the entry of foreign press during this sensitive period.

In the first seven months of this year, tourism to the coun-

try jumped by 37.4 percent, a positive development that has

been credited to the easy visa application procedures.

Jet Airways to close

check-in counters earlier

M y

anm ar s u

s p en d sv

i s a- on- arri v al p ol i c y

32



AVIATION NEWS


Qatar Airways has announced plans to further expansion to its Indian net-

work with a 20% increase in frequency covering the cities of Delhi, Cochin

and Amritsar from next month.

Beginning September 1, the number of flights to the northern Indian city

of Amritsar will rise from four- a-week to daily. The expansion comes less

than a year since Qatar Airways launched flights to Amritsar.

The southern Indian city of Cochin, currently served daily, will get an ad-

ditional four flights a week – two from September 1 and the other two from

November 5.

The beginning of the Northern Winter flying programme on October 31

will see the highly popular Doha – Delhi route securing an additional daily

flight taking capacity to the Indian capital up to 14 services a week.

With a total of 14 additional flights being phased in over a period of twomonths, Qatar Airways’ capacity to India will increase from 74 to 88 ser-

vices each week. The award-winning Doha-based airline currently flies to

11 cities across India that cover Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chen-

nai, Trivandrum, Kozhikode, Ahmedabad, Goa, Delhi, Amritsar, and Co-

chin.

With the new additional flights, each of the 11 Indian destinations will be

served daily non-stop, except Delhi and Cochin, which will have a double

daily service and 11 flights-a-week, respectively.

India is by far Qatar Airways’ single biggest market by the number of

destinations served – and the country alone makes up over 10% of the

airline’s international network.

Each of the Indian flights offers convenient connections via Qatar Air-

ways’ Doha hub to and from the airline’s network of flights across the

Middle East, Europe, Africa and North America.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “We are

pleased to announce additional frequencies to Delhi, Cochin, and Amrit-

sar from September, which further cements our commitment to the Indian

market.

“India is a very important market for us, as we are able to offer a large se-

lection of destinations and very convenient connection times to numerous

global cities that Qatar Airways serves from Doha,” added Al Baker.

“These are exciting times for Qatar Airways. With these frequency in-

creases in India, and six new recently announced upcoming routes, we

look forward to further global expansion to even more exciting destina-

tions between October and January.”

During a four-month period from October 2010, the airline’s passenger

route network will rise to almost 100 destinations. The additions of Phuket(October 12), Hanoi (November 1), Nice (November 24), Bucharest (Jan-

uary 17), Budapest (January 17) and Brussels (January 31) provide even

more travel options for passengers to and from India, with a convenient

stop in Doha.

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 87 aircraft to 92 di-

verse business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Af-

rica, Asia Pacific, South Asia, North America and South America.

i n v e s t s i n m a j o r

I n d i a n e x

p a n s i o n



Boeing has announced further delays to the delivery of its eco-friend-

ly Dreamliner aircraft, which is still going through tests and will not

be ready until early 2011, almost three years behind schedule, due to

the availability of Rolls Royce engines needed for the final stages of

flight tests.

The much-delayed aircraft had been due to be delivered to launch

customer ANA in the fourth quarter of this year, but Boeing said in July

that this date might be pushed back to the start of 2011 due to “the

cumulative impact of a series of issues, including supplier workman-

ship issues related to the horizontal stabilizer and instrumentation

delays”.

This latest delay follows “an assessment of the availability of an en-

gine needed for the final phases of flight test this fall”. The manufac-

turer added that “While Boeing works closely with Rolls-Royce to ex-

pedite engine availability, flight testing across the test fleet continues

as planned”.

Boeing’s

first787

AVIATION NEWS34



AVIATION NEWS 35

Hainan Airlines has today

started up twice weekly

services between the Chi-

nese seaport of Dalian to

Singapore via Hefei.

Hefei, capital of Anhui prov-

ince, will be a new city link

for Changi Airport. This

brings to four the number

of new city links to China

established this year, fol-

lowing Jinan, Shantou and

Qingdao.

Henan Airlines departs

from Dalian, using a Boeing

B737-800, every Wednesdayand Sunday at 1530. It lands

in Hefei at 1720, departing

there at 1820 before arriving

in Singapore at 2340. Total

flying time is eight hours

and 10 minutes.

The return flight departs

from Singapore every Mon-

day and Thursday at 0040. It

arrives in Hefei at 0550, de-

parting there at 0650 before

landing in Dalian at 0830.

offers Dalian-Singapore air routeHainan Airlines



AVIATION NEWS


36

Vietnam is looking for part-

nerships with foreign inves-

tors to develop Phu Bai Air-

port in the central province

of Thua Thien-Hue into an

international one that can

serve five million passen-

gers in 2020.

Deputy Prime Minister Ho-

ang Trung Hai has asked the

Ministry of Transport to work

with concerned agencies

and create plans for such apartnership.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan

Dung had in July last year

approved a plan to upgrade

the airport so that it can meet

international standards and

receive large aircraft. It can

only serve 500,000 passen-

gers a year at present.

Last month the provincial

administration requested the

government’s consent for at-

tracting foreign investment

to upgrade the airport.

State-run Middle Airports

Corporation, which manag-

es Phu Bai and six other air-

ports in the central coastal

and highlands region, said it

had signed a Memorandum

of Understanding with Sin-

gapore’s Changi Airport In-ternational in 2008 to form a

joint venture for the upgrade

project.

Both sides, however, have

failed to agree on many key

issues, including partnership

benefits and management.

Vietnam

government seeks Hue airport partners



AVIATION NEWS 31

Air New Zealand has reported a four-fold increase in profits for 2009, prompting speculation the global avia-

tion industry may be emerging from the recession.

After taxation, the airline made a profit of NZ$82 million for the year ending June 30th, up from NZ$21 a year

earlier. Fuel hedging losses at the airline also dropped to NZ$8 million from $130 million.

The news follows earlier positive reports from Australian low-cost carrier Virgin Blue, and buoyed confi-

dence in the sector.

However, Air New Zealand chairman, John Palmer, remained cautious: “The uncertainty surrounding the

global economic recovery has continued to suppress demand for air travel over the past 12 months.”

Following the release of the results, Air New Zealand confirmed a dividend of four cents per share, taking

total dividends for the year to seven cents per share.

This is an increase of eight per cent on 2009, and reflects the airline’s “improved outlook”.Operating revenue - which includes passenger, cargo and contract services - fell NZ$563 million to NZ$4

billion. However, operating costs were also down NZ$583 million to NZ$3.3 billion.

Air New Zealand



AVIATION NEWS


32

atar Airways has unveiled exclusiveround-trip fares from Hongkong toome popular destinations worldwide.

lines up exclusive online deals

Qatar Airways

Round-trip Economy fares start from HK$7,661 (US$984) for London, HK$7,749 (US$996)for Paris and HK$7,492 (US$963) for Copenhagen, HK$7,375 (US$948) for Barcelona,

HK$17,248 (US$2,217) for Buenos Aires, and HK$12,973 (US$1,668), HK$5,541 (US$712)for Abu Dhabi to name a few.

Bookings made from now until September 30 will be automatically entered to a speciallucky draw for a chance to win a meal at the Four Seasons Hong Kong worth HK$1,000(US$128.50) among other prizes.



AVIATION NEWS 39



AVIATION NEWS


40

S AS Scandinavian Airlines was

Europe’s most on-time airline

this summer for the second

year in a row, while Ryanair has been

revealed as more punctual than British

Airways, according to new figures from

airline punctuality specialist Flight-

stats.

More than 90 percent of SAS’s flights

arrived on time in the quarter from 1

May to 31 July, according to Flightstats,

which monitors the arrival and depar-

ture times of aircraft around the world.

Over the same period, Ryanair’s punc-

tuality was 69,18 per cent, marginally

ahead of British Airways at 68,22 per

cent.

However easyJet came in fourth from

bottom, with only 52,45 percent of

flights arriving on time.

The statistics follow a warning from the

airline’s founder and major shareholder

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioanno last month that

he will consider revoking the “easy”

brand licence if the carrier does im-

prove its punctuality.

He set a target of reduce its averagedelay to less than 15 minutes by 26 Oc-

tober. This compares to an average of

26 minutes in May.

Spanish flag carrier Iberia received the

wooden spoon, with only 45.92 percent

punctuality.

Hawaiian Airlines topped the North

America league with 92.35 percent, just

ahead of Alaska Airlines 88.12 percent.

Other aviation heavyweights that per-

formed well were United Airlines in 7th

place with 82.30 percent, just ahead of

US Airways with 82.05 percent. Cape

Air came in bottom at 54.33 percent.

In Asia, Air Nippon was the region’s

most punctual airline with 90.95 per-

cent, or an average delay of just 6

minutes. Japan Airlines, All Nippon

Airways and Korean Air Lines also per-

formed well.

most

punctual airlines revealedEurope’s



AVIATION NEWS


35



DO YOU KNOW


42

10 culture and customs of

Spanish to know when

travelling & living in Spain (part 2)



DO YOU KNOW


7 Clothing

Spanish people have a modern

sense of dress for the most part.

Some smaller villages may frownupon excessively short or tight

clothing. Older Spanish people stick with more conservative clothing.

When dressing in traditional Span-

ish clothing for holidays, weddings

or religious festivals, many women wear an ornamental comb known as

La Peineta. These combs often hold

a long veil in place.

8 Sport

Soccer is not just a sport for many

Spaniards, but a passion. Top clubteams such as Real Madrid and FCBarcelona can draw crowds in ex-

cess of 100,000. The national team

is among the world’s elite, including

winning the 2008 European Cham-

pionship. The controversial tradition

of bullfighting, a sporting spectaclein Spain for centuries, takes place in

plaza de toros (bullrings) through-

out the country, though its popularity

varies from region to region.

9Flamenco and Bull-fighting

Flamenco dancing dates back to

the 16th century in Spanish culture,beginning with gypsies from the An-

dalucia region. Flamenco dancers,

mostly women, dress in brightly col-

ored dresses with ruffles that move

as they spin and dance to traditional

flamenco music. Many times, fla-

menco dancing and music is passeddown through the family.

Bullfighting, while controversial,

remains a Spanish tradition, dat-

ing back to ancient times. Spanishpeople refer to this tradition as Fi-

esta Nacional, or the national sport.

Each bullfight is known as a corrida.

Many areas of Spain hold bullfights

for spectators weekly.

10 Siesta

A famous tradition throughout Spain,

siesta is the daily rest period, typical-

ly between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., whenSpaniards go home to eat, sleep

and be with family. Many shops

and public buildings close during

this time to allow workers to enjoy

a respite from the working day. Insome locales, the break is a neces-sity, allowing workers to get out of

the oppressive heat of the summer’s

sun and cool off before returning to

work in the late afternoon.

43



38

While being in a foreign country may be fun, there is al-

ways danger abroad, just as there is danger at home. All

visitors from any country should learn what the dangers

are in foreign countries and how to protect themselves no

matter how sure they are that they are safe. There is al-

ways the possibility that something can go wrong, so, as

they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Whether by your-

self or with family or friends, safety is important. Keep in mind the following pointers to make your next foreign trip

as safe and as hassle-free as possible.

1, Research the country you aregoing to before you goThe best and fastest way of researching is to

search on the Internet for legal information

and things you should know well in advance

of traveling to that country. View travel ad-

visories from reputable sources such as the

US, UK, and Australian Governments, and

take note of any potential issues you may

encounter. A streetwise traveler should also

know emergency numbers, and at least a bit

of the language (like the word for “help”).

Also find out places to avoid, like alleys, bad

neighborhoods, and red light districts. Your

government may have resources available to

travelers that will outline what you need to be

prepared for.• Know the local customs. There are many

gestures that you may be accustomed to, but

are frowned upon in other countries where

they may be seen as the opposite of their

intention. For instance, the thumbs up “OK”

sign that is used in much of the West is a nasty

hand gesture in other countries such as parts

of Italy and Greece. Your travel agent should

be able to help you with determining the cus-

toms you’re used to that might have the op-posite effect in a different country.

• Learn how the locals dress. If the locals

are dressed in a moderate way, you should

dress the same. You don’t want to draw un-

wanted attention to yourself, especially at

sites of religious importance.

2, Make three copies of everythingbefore you leaveMake copies of your passport, travel itiner-

ary and tickets, credit cards, driver’s license,

and any other important documents. Copy

the back of everything, as well. This canmake it easier for you to recover if any of your

documents are stolen, but keep the copies in

separate locations, and keep them safe. You

can also consider making scans of your doc-

uments and e-mailing them as attachments

to yourself to be printed when and if needed.

You may be able to store your important doc-

uments in an online “safe” for more security.

3, Get the addresses and phonenumbers of your country’s embas-sy and any military bases (if ap-plicable) before your arrival to theforeign country For some countries, such as the USA and

Australia, it is possible to register with a con-

sulate online, ahead of travel. Once you have

done this, if there arises any kind of natural

disaster or military conflict, the consulate will

know that you are in the country, which is the

first step in being able to offer assistance.

• Contact your country’s embassy (or clos-

est embassy) upon arriving. Advise them of your location and your name, especially if you

are in a politically turbulent foreign country.

If possible, travel to the embassy, or at least

spot it on a map and know how you can get

there if you need to.

By: Dan Knows All, Maluniu, Jack Herrick, Zack



BUSINESS ADVICE


45

4, Avoid looking like a tourist:Generally, don’t wear any of thefollowing• Excessive or expensive-looking jewelry

• A nice pair of sneakers (especially white

ones) - You might be tempted to because you

might be doing a lot of walking, but a nice

pair of sneakers will show people that you are

indeed a tourist (which makes you look like

a target to thieves). If you must wear sneak-

ers, make sure that they are not the type that

would attract attention.

• Fanny pack - A pickpocket could easily

unzip (or take a knife to) and empty the con-

tents of the the fanny pack without you being

aware.

• Tote bags imprinted with a tour group op-

erator name or symbol

• Obviously new apparel

• Electronics - If you must bring them, put

them in the oldest, most beaten-up backpack

you can find.

5, Check to see if tap water is safe

Remember that the tap water may be treated

with different chemicals from those in your

home country and could still make you ill if

you drink it, especially for children and the

elderly. Also, when buying water from a ven-

dor in the streets, make sure that the cap is

still attached to its ring.

6, Be careful with sexual encoun-tersSexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are

common to all cities across the world, even

your own. The occurrence of STDs like AIDS

and syphilis is higher in some cities, espe-

cially among prostitutes. Remember, the only

guaranteed protection is not having sex in

the first place, but if you do, wear or require

your partner to wear protection that reduces

the transmission of disease, and if necessary

take precautions against date rape.

7, Keep your personal informationsecretNo one but you needs to know where you

are staying, where you are going, and when you are doing it. No matter how trustworthy

a person seems, it’s not important they know

your personal information. If somebody asks

where you are staying, then lie. When check-

ing in a hotel, don’t say your room number

out loud at any time. Ideally, the hotel clerk

should be discreet about it also (writing the

room number on your key envelope) but if

you think others heard your room number,

simply ask to have it changed.

8, Safeguard your room Ask for a room that is not on the ground floor

or near the elevator or fire stairs, as they

tend to get thieved more often. Bring a rub-

ber door wedge and put it under your door

every night, just in case. If someone has a

key or picks the lock, the rubber wedge will

give you enough time to make a commotion

and call for help. If you don’t have a wedge,

put the chair up against the door knob. Put

a “do not disturb” sign on your door when

you leave so that people think you’re in there.

Leave the TV on at a moderate volume so that

people cannot tell if your room is occupied

or not. Keep your valuables out of sight in a

safe or in a not-so-obvious container (like a

bread box).

9, Be polite and non demanding

If you are quiet and respectful, you are less

likely to draw attention to yourself through

your behavior. Depending on the local cus-

toms, however, do not assume that being

extra friendly is beneficial -- it may be inter-

preted as an invitation that you never meant

to offer, especially if you are female. Avoid

doing anything (having drinks, doing drugs)

that makes you loud or belligerent in any way.

Not only will you draw attention to yourself in

a negative way, but you’ll also be more vul-

nerable because you’re not completely alert.

10, Carry your documents strate-gically Do not place your credit cards, cash, ID

cards, and passport all in the same place.

• Keep cash and credit cards separate from

ID cards. By keeping things separated you

eliminate the risk of having them all stolen.

• Always have some cash stashed away in

a shoe, a hidden pocket, or in yet another

shoe, in case you need immediate cash for

taxi ride or something fast to eat. Do not carry

too much cash, and never flash it all when

you pay.

• If you have a wallet, wear it in your front

pants pocket instead of in the back and your

pocketbook close to the body. To be extra

safe, prepare a mugger’s wallet -- an inex-

pensive wallet with a small amount of real

cash plus fake sample credit cards and IDs.

Use this fake wallet in case you are mugged

and have to give it up. Throw it towards them

but aim for further than them. As they run toget the wallet, you have the chance to run

the opposite way to get away from them. The

muggers are more interested in the cash and

won’t take the time to examine the fake cards

and IDs until later.



11, Walk facing the trafficThis way, no cars can sneak up behind you

and commit a crime. It has also been known

for thieves on scooters to snatch handbags as

they drive past. Keep your handbag/suitcase

on the side of your body that is away from the

traffic. By doing this, you can also minimize

the risk of any accidents, which could arise

from not seeing the speeding cars behind

you.

12, Be alert when using publictransportationSteer clear of unlicensed taxis. Better still,

hire a car, or get a bus or train. Try to get a

seat at the front of the bus, as you will be near

the driver. You should never go on the top

floor of a bus late at night. If you are getting

a train, try to find a seat in a busy carriage

somewhere in the middle of the train. This

means you will only have to walk down half

a potentially lonely and poorly lit platform. If necessary, sit close to the emergency button/

intercom.

13, Never get into a car with astrangerIf it is a certified taxi driver, then make sure

by asking for identification. If you find out too

late that you are in an illegal taxi driver’s car,

break away through windows or the door.

14, If driving, be alert to changesin the rules of the roadSome countries will drive on the left side of

the road, others on the right. In the U.S., youdrive on the right side; in Japan the UK, Aus-

tralia or New Zealand you drive on the left

side. Driving on the opposite side of the road

to what you are accustomed is a significant

adjustment; in particular, be very careful

when turning to be sure you end up on the

correct side of the road. Also, don’t back up

more than absolutely necessary. For example,

back out of parking spaces, but don’t back up

if you missed a turn. Backing up on the wrong

side of the road is even more difficult than

driving on the wrong side of the road.

Tips• Never give your passport to a hotel clerk.

Some countries have laws that require that

hotels hold the passports of their guests (such

as Italy, where handing over your passport

overnight is usually perfectly safe). If you feel

uncomfortable about parting with your docu-

ments, you can often get a certified copy of

your passport information that you can sub-

stitute. You might also make a good quality

photocopy of the main passport page and de-

mand the hotel hold that instead.

• If the country speaks another language,

at least learn to say “Please, Is there anyone who speaks English?” Your accent will be

bad, but the locals will respect you for trying.

• If you are traveling a country with a history

of foreign citizen kidnappings and suspect

you might be a potential victim of a kidnap-

ping, do not leave your hotel/place of resi-

dence at the same time every day. Do not use

the same route to go to or from a specific des-

tination (e.g. an office) every time.

• Stock up on food and water in your ho-

tel room as soon as you arrive, especially if

there’s the possibility of kidnappings, riots,

and anything else that might call for you stay-

ing in your hotel. You may think you are wast-

ing money on items you do not need, but theycould save your life in a worst case scenario.

If you do not use them, offer them to the hotel

as a thank you for a nice stay.

• If you are on your own, try to befriend some

other travelers. There is safety in numbers.

Warning• Be especially careful at night. This is the

most dangerous time in any country. Do not

go anywhere you don’t know, and again,

make sure you stick to well lit areas. It has

been known for people (especially women)

to be raped, murdered or kidnapped (a lotof these crimes taking place late at night).

There’s also the greater risk of drug and gang

activity. Try to avoid late-night pubs.

• If you are in a country where political ten-

sions are high, be extremely careful. It has

been known for tensions to erupt, resulting in

terrible consequences. Bombs have explod-

ed and killed hundreds. If you find yourself in

this situation when you are in the country, do

not go outside of where you are staying. The

army may be called in as well. This can bring

about devastating gunfights in the street. You

may have to stay there for quite some time, to

let things calm down.• Unfortunately, not everyone is caring dur-

ing a dangerous situation. Some people adopt

the “every person for him/herself approach”.

Be careful whom you trust.

• Do not take favours or help from strangers,

especially while you go to exchange money.

Try not to exchange your currency with ille-

gal operators/agents.

BUSINESS ADVICE46



BUSINESS ADVICE



http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/travel-weekly-magazine-02-09-2010 50/57 www.travelweekly.com.vn

The Truth about Managing By Bill Cook

Your Patients’ Expectations

A s someone interested in attracting international patients, I know how difficult it can be to successfully

manage people’s expectations on a consistent basis. From quality assurance to convenience and lowprice, your international patient clientele can be a tough bunch to please.

But sometimes we can get so caught up in the cold hard data that we forget that decisions are not always

based on the lowest price, how many accreditations we have, or the number of procedures we have done.

The fact is an international patient’s decision to choose your hospital is often emotional rather than rational.

Sure, great pricing, attractive quality of care indicators, and the latest technology are a good way to stand

out. But those hospitals that want to succeed with international patients on a consistent basis need to go be-

yond the value-benefits that everyone is promoting and focus on the obvious but neglected attributes that, if

overlooked, can be the undoing of many an international hospital.

I’m talking about some down to earth common courtesies here that will ultimately make the difference be-

tween prospective patients perceiving you as wanting them versus actually caring about them. And there is

a big difference between the two!So what are these elusive attributes that make our prospective patients feel all fuzzy and warm? What is the

x factor that allows a relatively unknown hospital to win out over an international powerhouse? Drum roll

please…

• Being accessible

• Keeping people informed

• Listening to your prospects and patients

• Anticipating your patients’ needs

• Having knowledgeable staff

• Being honest and transparent

• Empathizing with your patients

“What!” You say, “These are all painfully obvious!” Before I’m accused of mismanaging my readers’ expec-

tations, let me just say in my defense that I did write that they were obvious (third paragraph, fifth line). You

know what though? A lot of international hospitals fail at these simple tasks. Not only do they fail, but many

probably do not have a clue that they are doing a lousy job meeting their patients’ basic expectations.



MEDICAL TOURISM 49

Being Accessible Doubt my words? Randomly pick any ten inter-

national hospitals and send them an email. Wait

two days and see how many responses you get.

Wait a week. I have done this exercise several

times and my response rate averages just south

of forty percent. I’m not talking late responses

I’m saying NO RESPONSE…NADA! In other

words, even if my numbers aren’t strictly scien-

tific, we can probably assume that on any given

day patients have a 50-50 chance of getting a

response from international hospitals.

What can you do to be more accessible to yourprospective patients?

1. Make it easy for people to contact you

In terms of your website, this means having oneor two toll free numbers, a clearly visible email,physical address and web form. Most peopledon’t have the time to look for a tiny phone num-

ber or email hidden in a corner of your website.Make your contact information one of the firstelements people see when they land on your

website or read through your promotional bro-chure. Also be sure to specify your office hours

so interested prospects and patients know whento contact you.

2. Have the right software for managing yourcustomers and automating repetitive tasks

As the number of people contacting your inter-

national patient center increases you will quicklydiscover that Microsoft Outlook is woefully in-adequate to manage all your requests (just ask

me!). At Hospital Clinica Biblica, we use rela-tively inexpensive software that allows us to au-tomatically send prospects a personalized mes-

sage once they press a web form submit button.Prospects or patients can then receive person-

alized packets of information on a regular basis without us having to lift a finger. Having access

to this capability allows us to manage hundredsof prospect and patient requests without havingto hire an army of sales reps or additional casemanagers.

3. Have enough people available to get back toprospects in a timely manner

Although technology is great, you are still go-ing to need sufficient human resources to an-swer calls and get back to prospects quickly

with more detailed and customized information.

When assessing the number of staff you may re-quire, don’t forget that, depending on how youhave things set up, some of your “available” staff may be occupied with other important matters

such as assisting international patients duringtheir stay at your hospital.

Keeping People Informed Being accessible is just a start. Taking the ini-

tiative to keep your prospects and patients in-

formed is even more important. When you are

dealing with dozens or even hundreds of inter-

national patient requests on a weekly basis it

is very easy to drop the ball on at least a few

of them.

For example, a prospect or former patient may

be asking so many questions that he or she be-

comes a “nuisance” to you and you just stop

responding to her requests. Perhaps someone

has just confirmed a procedure but you simply

forget to follow-through with the appropriate

information to prepare them for their trip. May-

be an international patient has been delayed in

surgery and his companion is sick with worry

because you have not informed her what is go-

ing on.

Although we all fail on occasion to keep our pa-

tients adequately informed, we need to ensure

that this behavior does not become a habit.

None of us really wants to keep our internation-

al patients in the dark, do we? I think the core of

the problem lies in the fact that sometimes we

are a little lazy and do not take the time to think

through all the consequences of continuing on

the same road.

I find that one good way to keep me on the

straight and narrow is to look at the implications

of not keeping people informed. Let me see….

it is a sure way to generate misunderstandings, anxiety, anger, and even distrust among our in-

ternational patients (which ultimately translates

into a bad experience with our hospital and

fewer international patients). If you really take

this to heart then you will do what it takes to

keep all of your patients informed.

To keep your prospects and patients informed

on a consistent basis requires two things:

1. A change in mindset or philosophy aboutthe way you view your customers

2. The implementation of a system that en-

sures patients are in the loop at all stages of

the Medical Tourism process…

To read the rest of this excerpt, please look out

for the MTA’s new guide “How to Build a Suc-cessful International Patient Program,” authoredby Bill Cook, which will be available at the up-

coming 3rd Annual World Medical Tourism &Global Healthcare Congress in September inLos Angeles, California.



In addition to cul-tural values, Vege-

tarian Food FestivalCity also contribut-ed to Vietnam on alist of the few coun-tries in the world isconcrete action and

practical call for environmental protec-tion consciousnessof the people popu-lation by reducingconsumption of ani-mal flesh. The orga-nizers expected thefestival to becomean annual activity onthe occasion of fullmoon lunar July.




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travel weekly magazine 02 - 09 - 2010

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