Poland Hotels Booking

Tourists wait to check in at Beijing Capital International Airport.

Industry insiders said although the current travel crisis will have some effect on tourism within China, it will not be very serious.

According to recent statistics from the National Tourism Administration, Chinese outbound visitors reached 34.4 million in the first nine months of this year, up 14.8% year-on-year. In September, about 3.7 million Chinese people traveled overseas, an increase of 9.04% year-on-year.

In addition, domestic tourism is flourishing, with more than 178 million Chinese traveling within the country during the National Day holiday week, up 22.1% from the same period last year.

Despite the financial crisis and worries about a global recession, many Chinese travel companies remain confident about their business prospects, saying that due to huge domestic demand and tremendous market potential, China’s tourism sector will be able to weather the storm.
Much more HERE.
Source: China Daily

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Millbrook in New Zealand: amazing and empty

Spending by domestic travelers in New Zealand fell by $507 million or 6.4% to $7.39 billion in the year to June 2008, new research from the New Zealand Ministry of Tourism shows.

The biggest overseas loss came from China. Visitors from there dropped by a third, falling by 2,700 to 5,497 in September.

Ministry research manager Bruce Bassett said, ‘Weaker economic conditions and high fuel costs during the period are being reflected in a reduction in demand for travel, including domestic travel.’

The number of overnight trips fell by 5.5% from the previous year to 14.4 million trips, while the number of day trips dropped 15.5% to 25.9 million.

If the price of fuel stayed down in coming months, Bassett expected to see an increase in domestic activity, particularly in the number of day trips.

This research comes the same week that Statistics NZ unveiled a big drop in the number of international visitors last month.

It said tourist numbers fell 6.6 %, or 11,100 people, in September compared with the same month last year — the equivalent of 25 jumbo jets full of passengers.
Source: New Zealand Herald

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Unsmiling gamblers. Gamblers do no smile - ever

Of all the victims of a downturn in Chinese tourism, Macao stands to lose the most.

About 58% of all inbound travelers come from mainland China, where gambling is outlawed. Although the number of mainland tourists to Macao increased by 10.6%  in August, it is a far cry from the 29.9% growth registered in July and the even faster rate of 36.6 % recorded in June.

The slowdown is already affecting casino revenue, which rose more than 50%  in the first six months of this year but was flat in the first half of last month, according to Standard & Poor’s.

Since Stanley Ho’s monopoly on the gaming market was ended in 2002, Macao, which has 30 casinos and has attracted heavy investments from Las Vegas casino operators, is now the world’s biggest gaming market.

Most analysts forecast that the total September figure, which will be released later this month, will fall. If it does, it will be the first monthly drop in casino revenue since November 2005.

The decline is being anticipated after Beijing announced a series of measures to tame explosive growth in the Macao gaming market this year. The Chinese government has in the past few months repeatedly tightened the frequency and ease with which mainland gamblers can travel to Macao.
For more click HERE.
Source: The Financial Times

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Solar glass curtain used to create energy

Diangujinjiang International Hotel of Baoding in north China’s Hebei Province is a five-star hotel with solar power generators.

This is the first of its kind in China and has a total installed solar power capacity of 0.3 megawatts.

This is an excellent start but it is nowhere near enough.

A large residential or retail building may consume several megawatts in electric power and heating energy.

A hotel would be well in this class so it is highly unlikely that the hotel is providing all of its own power. But it is a start and it means that SOME but not all, of the burden is handled.

The productive capacity of electrical generators operated by utility companies is often measured in MW.

To give you an idea  modern high-powered diesel-electric railroad locomotives typically have a peak power output of 3 to 5 MW. Don’t expect solar driven railroads any time soon.
Source: English People’s Daily Online

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Mainland tourists arrive in Taiwan

Representatives of the nation’s airlines and the travel industry yesterday expressed high hopes for an upcoming meeting hoping it will address urgent issues and make substantial changes to cross-strait charter flight services.

Travel Agent Association chairman Yao Ta-kuan  said yesterday that the number of charter flights could be increased to at least 200 per week.

The meeting could also help add five more mainland airports to the list of those eligible for charter flights, he said.

Yao said the mainlandonly allows residents from 13 provinces to visit Taiwan and only 33 travel agencies on the mainland are authorized to arrange tour groups. He said he hoped these numbers would be at least doubled following the meeting.

Tony Su, chairman of the Taipei Airlines Association, said both sides had agreed during the first meeting in June that airline companies could start setting up offices on either side of the strait. However, Taiwanese airlines still cannot operate offices on the mainland the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has yet to stipulate guidelines that legalize such business operations in China.

Su said the safety of cross-strait charter flights was another critical issue.

While the two sides have reached a consensus to move from weekend-only charter flights to daily charter flights, Su said the number of Chinese tourists would also have to grow simultaneously.

He said, ‘There must be a real increase in the numbers of Chinese tourists and that increase cannot be just those who used to take transit flights via Hong Kong and Macau.’
Read more HERE.
Source: Taipei Times

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Logemeont Shanghai Hotel looking over Shanghai

Summit Property Development, one of the largest privately-owned development companies in the Yangtze River Delta, has created The Longemont Hotel Group. The Summit Property Group currently operates properties including offices, apartments, and hotels. The company moves into the hotel market ith the rebranding of the Regent Shanghai to The Longemont Shanghai.

As a new name in hospitality, the 53-storey Longemont Shanghai is a five star hotel with 511 deluxe rooms and suites from 42 to 115 sqm including 419 deluxe and premium rooms measuring from 42 to 45 sqm (that is the size of a smallish house) and 6 executive suites at 115 sqm which is very large indeed.

All rooms and suites feature 42-inch screen plasma TVs and iPod docking stations.  And there are great city views from all these rooms.

There is to- be-expected array of superb restaurants lus the largest ballroom in Shanghai’s Puxi District which caters for events up to 1,200 people. There are an additional nine function rooms and a  boardroom that caters for up to 20 people.  This, then, is definitely a MICE — meetings, incientives, conferences, entertainment — hotel.

Take it for granted there is a health centre with a 30-meter indoor heated swimming pool, gym, two outdoor tennis courts and this will shortly be joined by a spa.

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

Typical Hainan seaside scenery. Another day in Paradise.

The Outrigger Enterprises Group will develop and manage the Outrigger Qingshui Bay Resort, Sanya a new 500 plus room, five-star, full service luxury hotel to be built as part of Qingshui Bay Resort. This is a new, multi-billion dollar mixed use development being built on the island of Hainan.

Set in 7.5 miles of prime beachfront property within Hainan Island’s Sanya Administrative Prefecture on the South China Sea, the Qingshui Bay Resort will feature six luxury hotels, a range of residential apartments and villas, championship golf courses and a comprehensive mix of commercial, retail and entertainment offerings.

The Outrigger Qingshui Bay Resort, which should be completed 2013, will be one of six luxurious accommodation choices within the Qingshui Bay Resort.
Source: Asia Travel Tips

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

Shanghai Shimao International Square

Shimao Property Holdings has entered into an agreement with InterContinental for cooperation in the hotels business. (Note that Shimao constructus a far wider range of buildings than just hotels.

Shimao said it plans to open 6 hotels in four Chinese cities by 2013 and that Intercontinental will manage the properties under the partnership deal.

The hotels, in Beijing, Shanghai, Fuzhou and Shaoxing, will provide a total of 2,100 guest rooms.

This partnership sees the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms and one of China’s leading real estate developers add a total of 2,100 guest rooms to the IHG list. (Note that Shimao already has other hotel deals operating.)

The hotels will carry the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts brands.
Source: Trading Markets and Focus on Travel News Gazette

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

Tainjin Property Rights Exchange

China Network Communications Group Corporation (China Netcom Group), one of the nation’s state-owned fixed-line telecoms carriers, has put its five star-ranking hotels for sale on the Tianjin Property Rights Exchange. Part of its efforts to concentrate on its major business.

This seems such an intelligent and logical move one wonders why it has not happened before.

The auction is in line with the development strategy laid out by China United Telecommunications Corporation, a mobile telecoms service provider that was suggested take over China Netcom Group in the nation’s telecoms industry reshuffle.

According to an unnamed source the planned merger between Unicom Group and China Netcom Group is proceeding smoothly.

The fixed-line telecoms operator is the parent company of China Netcom Group Corporation . The publicly-traded company, which will merge with China Unicom has alrady been delisted from the Hong Kong and New York stock exchanges.
Source: Trading Markets

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

Mainland visitors to Taiwan

The number of sightseeing trips to Taiwan by mainland citizens has been far lower than expected since the two sides of the Taiwan Strait reached an agreement in mid-June on opening Taiwan up to more  tourists, from the mainland.

According to the Workers’ Daily, just over 21,000 tourists from the mainland have visited Taiwan since the agreement, signed by the heads of China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits and Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation, formally took effect on July 18.

The figure represents only 28% of the maximum number of Chinese tourists allowed to visit Taiwan under the agreement — which the paper said established a quota of 1,000 tourists per day in its initial stages.

In fact, however, the deal allowed up to 3,000 tourists per day,and it was unclear if the newspaper simply made a mistake or was reflecting an official decision by Beijing.
Source: Taiwan News

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

China is waking up to the attraction is has within each state. Most unlikely but, honestly, Guangdong has abundant and unique tourism resources in each of its 21 cities.

They include natural attractions such as hot springs and mountains, and man-made travel spots, including the Hakka Round Houses and golf courses.

In the northern part of the capital city Guangzhou, Baiyun Mountain attracts a large number of international and local tourists very day.

Only 6 kilometers from Guangzhou’s center, the mountain’s summit, 380 meter Moxing Peak, can be reached by cable car.

The site also includes the newly built Bird Paradise, the largest aviary facility in China. A park at the summit is home to Baiyun Wanwang Pavilion.

The mountain is among the eight-most popular travel sites in Guangzhou.

Eastern Guangdong is home to most Hakka people in the nation. Their unique round houses have been built for several centuries, with those in Shizhai county of Shanwei city are the most famous.
Source: China.org.cn

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

National Park

Tangwanghe National Park, in northeastern China’s Lesser Hinggan Mountains, will serve as a pilot park for a national park system.

While there are hundreds of nominal national parks in China, they function more like national historic and scenic spots.

Tangwanghe National Park will also focus on scientific research and environmental protection education. The area is notable for its extensive virgin forests of Korean broadleafed pines and ‘geological relics’ unique to China. Vegetation covers approximately 99.8% of the park.

Let us hope and pray that those monstrous mobile holiday homes called Winnebagos which so bedevil American national parks are never seen in China.
Source: Backpacker

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

The lights of Macau

Sino Express Travel will manage a 160-room hotel in Macau for 10 years. Construction and furnishing installations of the Macau hotel are at the final stages with a target completion by the end of this year.

Macau’s economy is largely based on tourism and casino gambling; the gambling revenues from Macau’s casinos made news in 2006 by surpassing those of Las Vegas strip.

Sino believes the hotel in the vibrant market of Macau will add great value to its growing portfolio of hotels and attractions.

The potential problem is that the Chinese government may not totally agree with Sino Express Travel and Macau.

It has already started slowing down the visas issued and there is a strong change that it may go further if the financial situation worsens. 50% of the gambling money lost in Macau comes from China.
Source: MarketWatch

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

Crowds at Golden Week

Retails sales and the number of tourists throughout the Golden Week holiday broke records in China’s tourism industry.

This year’s National Day holiday, which marks the 1949 founding of the People’s Republic of China, ran from September 29 through October 5.

Figures released by the National Tourism Administration (NTA) showed the country’s 119 major tourist destinations received more than 18.29 million visitors. That’s an increase of 13.2% from a year earlier. The NTA also said ticket sales rose by 16.4% from last year which means there has been some easing upwards of prices.

The country’s retail sales during the Golden Week exceeded RM420 billion (about $61.3 billion), jumping 21% from the same holiday last year.
More HERE.
Source: Window of China

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

The Beijing Times, quoting a bulletin released by the municipal bureau of tourism, said 21 key scenic zones in Beijing had 920,000 tourist arrivals on one day last week, a year-on-year rise of 61.9%.

It was not just new attractions, such as venues of the Olympic Games,

On Thursday, the Forbidden City hosted 120,000 visitors, a year-on-year rise of 140%, and 97,000 for the section of the Great Wall at Badaling, up 55%, and 92,000 for the Summer Palace, up 67%, and 65,000 for the Temple of Heaven, up 76.%.

The National Holiday, which marks the 1949 founding of the People’s Republic of China, started last Monday and ended on Sunday. Now the interesting figures will be those that follow this Golden Week holiday.

Judging by other Olympic resorts around the world visitors stay away from once-used Olympic venues  UNLESS a serious attempt is made to keep them interested with other, relevant, attractions.
Source: China Daily

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

Talise Wellness spa

Jumeirah, the Dubai-based luxury hotel company, has been appointed by GT Land Holdings to manage a luxury hotel in Guangzhou.

The Jumeirah Guangzhou Hotel, Jumeirah Group’s second hotel to be signed in China, will be in the center of New Pearl City Tian He District, Guangzhou’s premier and rapidly growing commercial city center.

The Jumeirah Guangzhou Hotel will feature a sky lobby, with elegantly appointed guest rooms, distinctive dining concepts and Jumeirah’s own luxury Talise Wellness spa all situated on the top floors of the 50-storey GT Land Plaza, with commanding views of city-centre Guangzhou.
Source: Gulf News

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

Huangguoshu Waterfall

Located almost 140 kilometers from Guizhou’s provincial capital of Guiyang the Huangguoshu Waterfall in Southwestern China’s Guizhou Province  is the biggest in Asia and one of China’s most famous tourist spots.

The Huangguoshu Waterfall Festival was set up with the stated aim of attracting even more visitors to the area.

Started in 2004, the festival showcases regional folk customs and culture. A performance offering a glimpse into the civilization and ancient rituals of Guizhou’s Tunpu people, marked the start of the festival. (The fact that such cultural events have, generally, been found to be a major turn-off for tourists is somewhat besides the point for it has already happened.)

Tour groups have made the trip to the area for the festival. And over 200 thousand people are expected to visit the waterfall during China’s National Day holiday.
Source: CCTV.com

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

The Langham style

Langham Hotels International has signed a deal with Guangzhou Huihua Hotel to manage the Langham Place which is in the Guangzhou Economic Development Zone (EDZ) in Luogang District.

The new hotel is set to open in 2010.

This deal marks LHI’s first expansion into Southern China, following its earlier entry into Shanghai and Beijing where three new hotels are scheduled to open their doors in 2009 under The Langham and Langham Place brands.

The hotel location — Guangzhou Economic Development Zone (EDZ) in Luogang District, is a key economic area in eastern Guangzhou.

More HERE.
Source: Asia Travel Tips

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

A new ski resort

Melco China Resorts (MCR) is the largest operator and developer of ski resorts in China. It is currently transforming one existing ski area in Beijing and four existing ski areas in the North Eastern provinces of Heilongjiang and Jili, most notably Sun Mountain Yabuli. The company envisions a network of year-round village centered, destination mountain resorts in China.

According to the China Ski Association, the total number of ski visits in China increased by 109% to over 4 million between 1999 and 2004.

Melco has plans first for Sun Mountain Yabuli as an up-market recreational resort. It is 2.5 hours southeast of the city of Harbin by road or 90 minutes by train and is a village-centered mountain resort with three premium hotels under construction.

Much more HERE.
Source: First Tracks and BizChina

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

China visa

China seems to relaxing its visa issuing rules (tightened during the Olympics) although the overall picture is still not clear.

The first step ist that China’s Foreign Ministry has resumed visa-free arrangements for Singaporeans making short visits using ordinary passports.

Visa issuing rules in Hong Kong will be back to normal starting next month. The UK site appears to suggest that multiple visit visas are back although they cost £90 which is more than somewhat.

When the visa rules were tightened back in the spring, one of the major complaints from visitors, residents and businesspeople was a lack of clear information about the scope of the rule changes.

Comments by the Foreign Ministry this week, suggest that renewed clarity should not be immediately expected.

The issued statement read: ‘Following the Olympic and Paralympic Games,  China’s visa policy will continue to serve the national interest and facilitate the normal personnel exchanges between China and foreign countries.’ Which says aboslutely nothing.

However, the evidence, not the statements, suggest the situation is getting easier.
Source: China — The Future of Travel

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com