Asia Vacations - Travel, Tourism - Info & Review

HONG KONG, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo becomes the most expensive location in the Asia-Pacific region for business travel in 2016, while Hong Kong has fallen to the second place last year, a survey from consulting firm ECA International showed here on Tuesday. The London-based company released its latest Daily Rates reports, analyzing the average costs for hotel accommodation, which makes up the bulk of any daily allowance, as well as meals, drinks, laundry, taxi transport and daily essentials. The cost of four-star hotel accommodation in Hong Kong in 2016 has fallen by around six percent, mainly due to the declines in tourism and business travel, said Lee Quane, Asia's Regional Director for ECA International. Factors associated with the current regional economic malaise are producing lower occupancy rates, forcing hoteliers in Hong Kong to reduce prices from the previous year, Quane said. The total cost of a typical business trip to Hong Kong, excluding travel to and from

Preliminary traffic figures for the month of January 2017 released today by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed further growth in both international air passenger and air cargo markets. The AAPA released traffic data in Kuala Lumpur this week For the region's carriers, the increase in leisure travel demand leading up to the Lunar New Year festive period helped underpin 7.7% growth in international air passenger numbers, to a total of 26.8 million for the month. Demand in Revenue passenger Kilometre (RpK) terms climbed 8.1%, buoyed by relatively robust demand for travel within the region and on selected long-haul routes. The average international passenger load factor strengthened further, by 1.7 percentage points, to reach 81.8% after accounting for a 5.9% expansion in available seat capacity. International air cargo demand, measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), grew by 4.7%. Offered freight capacity expanded by 3.8%, resulting in a 0.5 percentage

Beng Melea offers a budget version of visiting the Angkor ruins, with the added bonus of still looking like a ruin. Beng Mealea, an eerie jungle temple that invokes the earlier, less-discovered days of Angkor Wat, gives plenty of hope to the Indiana Jones in all of us. Source: BBC – Travel – Cambodia's hidden jungle temple Author: Noel Tan Dr Noel Hidalgo Tan is the Senior Specialist in Archaeology at SEAMEO-SPAFA, the Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Archaelogy and Fine Arts. View all posts by Noel Tan Source: BBC – Travel – Cambodia's hidden jungle temple

Let's start with some of the happenings o n the travel tech startup scene. Travefy, an itinerary management and client communication platform, said this week that it has acquired for an undisclosed sum Los Angeles-based travel agent itinerary platform TripScope, which has been renamed and absorbed. Lincoln, Nebraska-based Travefy says that more than 1,000 travel businesses, from individual advisors to large organizations like Travel and Transport, a part investor and also the fifth-largest U.S. travel management company. Travefy has raised $1.67 million since its founding in 2012. In other news, Stayzilla, India's biggest homestay startup, is shutting down to "reboot" and "change business models." Stayzilla had raised about $34 million across four rounds of funding, including a round in May. The company will focus now on building tools for the supply side of homestays. In other grim news, the Wall Street Journal reports that Swedish investment grou

How to Travel and Work at the Same Time | POPSUGAR Career and Finance Skip Nav Subscribe to the Must Have Box How to Travel Around 3 Countries in 3 Months — Without Losing Your Job Productivity 3 Ways to Stay Motivated in a Smaller Work Role Money Fun Ways to Teach Your Kids About Money Female Empowerment Amplifying Their Voices: How 1 Huge Company Is Investing in Female Workers There's no dearth of evidence that many Americans place a high value on incorporating work and travel. One survey by Booking.com reveals that 30 percent of people would accept a lower-paying job if it meant traveling more for work, while ample recent data shows that millennials are traveling more for work than previous generations and they are drawn to jobs that allow them travel opportunities. But for those of us who don't have a coveted travel-heavy gig, how do we press pause on our work lives to o

If you've made new holiday plans and it's going to be cold where you're headed, you don't want to be caught wearing something drab on the city streets, especially not if you're going to fashion capitals like New York, London or Tokyo. Even Sydney gets ridiculously cold around autumn, so you'll need to pack accordingly. Remember to take into consideration slippery streets and unexpected rain. Thick leggings, a fashionable beanie, even some warming gloves will help to keep you feeling comfortably warm when you're out and about. Head up to the gallery for our roundup of 6 essentials to pack into your suitcase if you're jetting off to a cold destination, so that you'll be able to look good even when thermometer tells you it's 10 degrees celsius outside. Angela Goh Coffee Culture: 9 Ultra hipster cafes in Tokyo you must visit Winter Wonderland: 9 Best places in the world to enjoy a White Christmas Office Style: 25 Looks to boost your c

While rising Internet and smartphone access fuelled growth in Asia Pacific (APAC) in 2016, varied infrastructure development, digital payments adoption and regulations make for an uneven e-commerce landscape across the region. Phocuswright's Asia Pacific Online Travel Overview Ninth Edition: Online Travel Agencies analyses the competitive dynamics throughout APAC, with insight into online travel agency (OTA) gross bookings and growth rates. The report takes a deep dive into the four major OTA trends in APAC. APAC is the world's third-largest OTA region: Gross bookings hit US$44.5 billion in 2015, up 15% over 2014 and are forecasted to reach $96.5 billion by 2020. 1- APAC Is the Fastest-Growing Major OTA Region Worldwide Internet and smartphone penetration continue to rise, supporting travel bookings' migration from offline to online channels in the region. With relatively underpenetrated online travel markets such as China, India and Southeast Asia fueling OTA

Vietnam is a legendary country now emerging as one of the most talked about tourist destinations in the East Asia. It features amazing natural resources and relaxing village life that would allow travellers to flee and find a route to ultimate peace. Vietnam's beautiful landscape, culture, architecture, art and more make it a worthy place for visitors in South East Asia. This exotic country amuses people worldwide with the best of its available resources, from the finest beaches and dense rain forests to spectacular islands and mesmerizing sights of mountain, lakes, rivers and caves. Vietnam can be a great travel destination for you and your family or group throughout the year. You can choose from a wide variety of enjoyable and comfortable Vietnam tours packages and plan your travel to this land of "Ascending Dragon" at any time during this year. From accommodation to entertainment; the Vietnam travel packages are pe rfectly designed with an eye on every aspect to

Vietnam has proved an ideal place to be in a relationship, with a new regional survey naming Vietnamese the most satisfied lovers. They rarely argue with their partners. When they do, it's mostly about money and their children. A new Prudential survey, conducted by independent research firm Ipsos, asked people in Asia how much their primary relationships fulfill them. Vietnam came first with the highest score of 83 percent, followed by people in the Philippines and Indonesia. The region's average was 68 percent. Every week, 8 percent of people in Vietnam think about leaving their partner, the lowest rate in Asia compared to the highest rate of 28 percent in Thailand. Vietnamese also argue very little. The survey found almost one in four Asians argues with their partners every week, but it happens with only 7 percent of the people in Vietnam. The survey interviewed more than 5,000 adults from 10 Asian markets. Japan was not included. Vietnamese are the most ful

IANS |   Feb 17,2017 , 04:13 PM IST Colombo: Sri Lankan Airlines, the island country's flag carrier, was named "the Best Airline in South Asia" by China's Top Travel magazine, the airline said on Friday. Sri Lankan Airlines was recently crowned the World's Leading Airline Operating to the Indian Ocean Region at the prestigious World Travel Awards and Best Full Service Airline in Central and South Asia for the second consecutive year at the Future Travel Experience Asia Awards. The airline was also last year named the Most Innovative Marketing Airline in China by Life Weekly magazine, Xinhua news agency reported. Top Travel Chief Editor Wang Jianmei said: "The Award of Best Airline in South Asia that Top Travel bestowed upon Sri Lankan Airlines is well earned." Sri Lankan Airlines Country Manager in China Ravindran Veeraperumal said: "This is a great acknowledgement and encouragement for our efforts to promote trav

Here are six of the sexiest hotels in Asia for your next escape From Japan to Laos, check out six of the region's hottest new properties with mesmerizing views and comprehensive facilities. By Monruedee Jansuttipan | Feb 16, 2017 Missed going on a holiday over the Chinese New Year long weekend? Fret not, because the next one is in April (over Good Friday). And if you're not an Airbnb type of person, check out some of the hottest and most gorgeous hotels in the region, boasting unparalleled facilities and breathtaking nature views. Kerry Hotel Hong Kong Set to open in April, this luxury hotel is the latest property from Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts' younger city brand. Already taking bookings, there are some tempting reasons to reserve early, like complimentary room upgrades, free minibars and two drinks at The Hung Hom Wine Bar on the house. The hotel is designed by Andre Fu, named Designer of the Year 2016 by Paris's trade fair Maison et Objet

World Travel Awards has revealed the Asia & Australasia Gala Ceremony 2017 will be hosted by the luxury Grand Kempinski Hotel Shanghai. The news comes as the industry leading awards programme begins its 24th year with the launch of the Grand Tour 2017. It will be the second time that World Travel Awards has visited China's commercial capital, following a rapturously received debut at the Swissotel Grand Shanghai back in 2008. A spectacular architectural achievement with sweeping views of the Huangpu River and the Shanghai skyline, Grand Kempinski Hotel Shanghai will welcome hospitality leaders from across the regions as they gather to see who among them has been voted the crème de la crème on Friday, 4th June, 2017. World Travel Awards President, Graham Cooke, said: "It will be a pleasure to return to Shanghai for the first time since the inaugural World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia Gala Ceremony in 2008. "And I can think of no better partner for

Editor's Note: Skift launched a new series, Gateway, as we broaden our news coverage geographically with first-hand, original stories from correspondents embedded in cities around the world. We are featuring regular reports several times per week from Beijing, Singapore, Caracas and Cape Town, and look for us to add Dubai and India soon. Gateway Singapore, for example, signifies that the reporter is writing from that city although her coverage of the business of travel will meander to other locales in the region. Read about the series here, and check out all the stories in the series here. As it marks 10 years of operating in Asia, Royal Caribbean Cruises has on its radar Southeast Asia's cruise development, which has great potential and is becoming critical as China and Australia continue to grow exponentially as source markets. The more the China and Australia markets expand, the more there will be new ports, ships and itineraries in those regions, and the greater the

NEW YORK: Washington state's attorney general has promised to uncover "what truly motivated" President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration, an approach that could prompt a rare public examination of how a U.S. president makes national security decisions. The presidential order imposed a temporary ban on travellers from seven predominantly Muslim countries, but a federal judge has barred enforcement of the order while the court considers a challenge brought by Washington state. On Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit left the judge's ruling in place without deciding the ultimate merits of either side's arguments. In its decision, the 9th Circuit cited a previous case establishing that "circumstantial evidence of intent, including … statements by decision makers, may be considered in evaluating whether a governmental action was motivated by a discriminatory purpose." The Trump administration has argued that the ban

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