KEY players in Krabi’s hospitality industry want to assure visitors that the Andaman coast is a safe destination in order to kick start the region’s ailing tourism industry
The message conflicts with alerts from the vast majority of national governments who have warned their citizens against travelling to Thailand. Only Taiwan currently lists Krabi as a safe destination for tourists to visits.
Similarly the Pattaya hotel market is facing another awful year with occupancy of luxury establishments falling to below 50 per cent.
In 2006 and 2007 Pattaya experienced usual booming tourist trade with occupancy reaching three-quarters of all four and five star rooms.
Meanwhile the Criminal Court will announce tomorrow whether it will approve an arrest warrant for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on terrorism charges, as the massive clean up operation in Bangkok gets underway.
The judicial body will re-examined a request by the Dept of Special Investigation for an arrest warrant for Thaksin.
Volunteers including teenagers and students were among those who helped to clean six venues which remained littered with rubbish and reeking of sewage after the red shirt demonstration.
Participants wanted to remind the red shirt rioters of the damage they had done to the peaceful image of Thailand around the world and the damage done to the economy through the destruction of property and decline in tourist numbers.
The 44-year-old Siam Theatre, in Bangkok, and CentralWorld shopping centre are just two of many buildings left gutted by fire.
And tourists have been warned not to break tonight’s 23:00 to 04:00 curfew after 36 people were fined 2,000 baht and received two month suspended jail terms in Bangkok last night.
There have been a total of 511 arrests for violating curfew intentionally or without justified causes since May 20 according to the Metropolitan Police Bureau.
Authorities warn they will continue to arrest those who violate the condition, which has been put in place in the Thai capital and northern provinces after escalating violence.
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Sunday, May 30, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Dubai debt concerns resurface
Concerns over Dubai’s financial position have resurfaced after its largest private equity company, Dubai International Capital, requested a three-month extension to its debt repayments, in the latest blow to the emirate’s financial image.
DIC, which is the investment arm of Dubai Holding, a conglomerate owned by the ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rasid al Maktoum, announced it has secured agreement with its six lending banks to delay the repayment of the debt from June until September.
The company said in a statement: “The extension period would allow the implementation of a consensual longer-term plan that would enable DIC to maximise the value of its business for the benefit of all its stakeholders.”
The banks are co-chaired by HSBC and Emirates NBD, and represented by Deloitte whilst Lazard was acting for DIC. The company has agreed to continue to pay interest and amortisation to keep the loans current, a DIC spokesman said.
The delay will stoke market uncertainty about the health of Dubai’s finances, just as the emirate seemed to be getting back on track. This month, Dubai World, the state-owned conglomerate that sparked last year’s recent debt crisis in the emirate, reached agreement with its main banks to restructure $23.5 billion of debts over eight years. It is also seeking a final deal with all its creditors by end June.
Government-related companies must restructure an overall debt burden of $109 billion.
DIC, which is the investment arm of Dubai Holding, a conglomerate owned by the ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rasid al Maktoum, announced it has secured agreement with its six lending banks to delay the repayment of the debt from June until September.
The company said in a statement: “The extension period would allow the implementation of a consensual longer-term plan that would enable DIC to maximise the value of its business for the benefit of all its stakeholders.”
The banks are co-chaired by HSBC and Emirates NBD, and represented by Deloitte whilst Lazard was acting for DIC. The company has agreed to continue to pay interest and amortisation to keep the loans current, a DIC spokesman said.
The delay will stoke market uncertainty about the health of Dubai’s finances, just as the emirate seemed to be getting back on track. This month, Dubai World, the state-owned conglomerate that sparked last year’s recent debt crisis in the emirate, reached agreement with its main banks to restructure $23.5 billion of debts over eight years. It is also seeking a final deal with all its creditors by end June.
Government-related companies must restructure an overall debt burden of $109 billion.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Rule 240 Revisited
Much has been written about something called Rule 240. Some pundits claim its an “urban travel legend” and no longer exists. Others disagree.
What is Rule 240? Well, back in the days when airlines were regulated by a government agency, they all had to abide by some sensible rules to protect passengers in case of, among other things, a cancellation or misconnection that was within the airlines control. These rules were incorporated in the airlines contracts of carriage. Post-deregulation, these rules no longer had to be followed, but some airlines, whether formed after or before deregulation, perhaps because they were too lazy to completely rewrite their contracts, kept the same rules. Airlines formed after deregulation typically didnt incorporate these rules into their contracts, and some have done away with them.
Anyway, Rule 240 originally stated that in the event of a cancellation or flight misconnection, the airline would have to put you on their next flight out, or, if that wasnt “acceptable,” on the next flight out of a competing airline if that flight would get you to your destination sooner, all at no additional cost to you. If only first class was available on the other airline, then they had to upgrade you. This only applied in circumstances under the airlines control, such as crew failing to show up, or mechanical problems.
So does Rule 240, or something like it, still exist? Well, we searched the contracts of carriage for a bunch of big and smaller airlines to find out, and near as we can see, several airlines, such as Alaska and United, still have something they call Rule 240, and others, such as Delta, Southwest, and Virgin America, have more vague language saying that they will put you on another airline at their “sole discretion” or that they “may substitute alternate carriers.” And some airlines dont call it Rule 240 at all, instead using a numbering system of their own invention (Alaska calls it "Rule 240AS" for example, and Continental calls it "Rule 24").
Keep in mind that airlines can change their contracts at any time, and several of the larger ones have done so in recent months. And sometimes there isnt a flight on another airline that will get you there sooner, especially if youre traveling from or through a so-called “fortress hub,” such as Atlanta, a Delta Airlines stronghold, or there may be no seats available on the other airlines next flight. Also, if you're traveling on a "bulk," "consolidator," or other unpublished airfare, then all bets are off.
To address the skeptics, in the chart below weve done our best to interpret the airlines policies, and have excerpted the actual language from their current (as of May 2010) contracts of carriage, which, although we're travel journalists not lawyers, we assume are legally binding documents. Below the chart, weve also provided links to the contracts on the airlines Web sites so you can see for yourself.
We've noted whether, near as we can tell, the airline will put you in first class on its own (or another carrier's) next flight out.
What is Rule 240? Well, back in the days when airlines were regulated by a government agency, they all had to abide by some sensible rules to protect passengers in case of, among other things, a cancellation or misconnection that was within the airlines control. These rules were incorporated in the airlines contracts of carriage. Post-deregulation, these rules no longer had to be followed, but some airlines, whether formed after or before deregulation, perhaps because they were too lazy to completely rewrite their contracts, kept the same rules. Airlines formed after deregulation typically didnt incorporate these rules into their contracts, and some have done away with them.
Anyway, Rule 240 originally stated that in the event of a cancellation or flight misconnection, the airline would have to put you on their next flight out, or, if that wasnt “acceptable,” on the next flight out of a competing airline if that flight would get you to your destination sooner, all at no additional cost to you. If only first class was available on the other airline, then they had to upgrade you. This only applied in circumstances under the airlines control, such as crew failing to show up, or mechanical problems.
So does Rule 240, or something like it, still exist? Well, we searched the contracts of carriage for a bunch of big and smaller airlines to find out, and near as we can see, several airlines, such as Alaska and United, still have something they call Rule 240, and others, such as Delta, Southwest, and Virgin America, have more vague language saying that they will put you on another airline at their “sole discretion” or that they “may substitute alternate carriers.” And some airlines dont call it Rule 240 at all, instead using a numbering system of their own invention (Alaska calls it "Rule 240AS" for example, and Continental calls it "Rule 24").
Keep in mind that airlines can change their contracts at any time, and several of the larger ones have done so in recent months. And sometimes there isnt a flight on another airline that will get you there sooner, especially if youre traveling from or through a so-called “fortress hub,” such as Atlanta, a Delta Airlines stronghold, or there may be no seats available on the other airlines next flight. Also, if you're traveling on a "bulk," "consolidator," or other unpublished airfare, then all bets are off.
To address the skeptics, in the chart below weve done our best to interpret the airlines policies, and have excerpted the actual language from their current (as of May 2010) contracts of carriage, which, although we're travel journalists not lawyers, we assume are legally binding documents. Below the chart, weve also provided links to the contracts on the airlines Web sites so you can see for yourself.
We've noted whether, near as we can tell, the airline will put you in first class on its own (or another carrier's) next flight out.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Hong Kong Memory
Round-trip Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car, and visit Po Lin Monastery, Bronze Giant Buddha, Victoria Peak, Aberdeen, Repulse Bay. Enjoy the Harbour Cruise - Bauhinia for a unique sightseeing and dining cruise in Hong Kong.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Recovery has technically begun in the US travel industry
As U.S. travelers look ahead to the second half of 2010 and beyond, the general sentiment is clearly more positive than it was in 2009. Recovery has technically begun; but most travel companies still are not feeling much relief. In an upcoming Online Event and comprehensive research study and analysis, PhoCusWright, the travel industry research authority, reveals and explores the state of consumer travel in the U.S.Cutting Losses, Rebuilding Confidence: Key U.S. Traveler Insights, a PhoCusWright Online Event on May 26, presents the top U.S. consumer traveler trends, with an emphasis on traveler behavior and the trends shaping lodging, air travel and other travel components. This unique, one-hour event draws on some of the key findings contained in PhoCusWright's Consumer Travel Report Second Edition. Among the most significant U.S. consumer traveler trends:
Travel takes a one-two punch
Not only did fewer people travel (-11%), but those who did travel spent less (-15%).
Recovery will be restrained
While fewer consumers plan to pull back on their travel in 2010, the percentage of those who plan to travel more has not increased.
Quality, not quantity
Even though travelers took fewer trips in 2009 compared to 2008, the trips they took were longer; trips of four nights or longer accounted for 59% of all trips in 2009.
Economy busts the boomers
Older consumers (45+) pulled back on travel earlier than younger travelers, and were less likely to travel in general.
Reality bites
Younger travelers (under age 35) showed larger year-over-year declines in travel spend than older travelers, and their optimism about travel intentions has sobered. However, they still had a significantly higher incidence of travel than older travelers.
Planning is more focused
The number of sites used across the destination selection, shopping and booking phases has decreased slightly from 2008.
OTAs gain on hotel sites
Online travel agencies (OTAs) gained share among hotel bookers, but not so much with air.
Upscale travelers want it all
Bigger-spend travelers are more likely to patronize upscale and luxury hotels than lower-spend travelers, but they are also almost as likely to stay in midscale hotels.
PhoCusWright's Online Event, Cutting Losses, Rebuilding Confidence: Key U.S. Traveler Insights, is presented by Carroll Rheem, director, research, and moderated by Lorraine Sileo, vice president, research. The format consists of a 45-minute presentation, followed by a 15-minute Q&A session.
PhoCusWright's Consumer Travel Report Second Edition provides an overview of the state of consumer travel in the U.S. and insights into key indicators for the upcoming year. The report explores a range of topics, including travel incidence, general travel behavior, channel usage and psychographics.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Want a customized, hassle free Morocco tour?
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Explore the ancient walled cities, the Sahara Desert, the High Atlas Mountains, and more...Morocco offers a wide variety of options for all travelers, budgets, and interests. See our complete list of itineraries
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We take pride in our creative and flexible scheduling that will allow you to enjoy the beauty of Morocco without having to worry about the stress of doing all the planning yourself. Let us know what you want and we will create a tour to match.
Why Experience It! Tours?
Experience It! Tours focuses ONLY on Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya. We have international representatives living in Morocco and Tunisia, who can help you create your tour. We value honesty, integrity and serving our clients to the best of our ability. Read more about us and what our clients are saying.
Why not experience the real Morocco?
"It was amazing-borderline fantastic! Without any question, the overnight in the desert was the highlight of the trip, truly one of the highlights of my life." Dave and Susi
Are you looking for more than a tour?
Explore the ancient walled cities, the Sahara Desert, the High Atlas Mountains, and more...Morocco offers a wide variety of options for all travelers, budgets, and interests. See our complete list of itineraries
Create Your Own Tour
We take pride in our creative and flexible scheduling that will allow you to enjoy the beauty of Morocco without having to worry about the stress of doing all the planning yourself. Let us know what you want and we will create a tour to match.
Why Experience It! Tours?
Experience It! Tours focuses ONLY on Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya. We have international representatives living in Morocco and Tunisia, who can help you create your tour. We value honesty, integrity and serving our clients to the best of our ability. Read more about us and what our clients are saying.
Why not experience the real Morocco?
"It was amazing-borderline fantastic! Without any question, the overnight in the desert was the highlight of the trip, truly one of the highlights of my life." Dave and Susi
Are you looking for more than a tour?
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