EUROPE: Hyatt Takes Alila To Europe

Hyatt is to bring its newly-acquired Alila brand to Europe, with a new hotel in La Gruyere, western Switzerland.

The brand currently operates 20 properties in Indonesia, India, China, Cambodia, Malaysia, Oman and the US.

Alila La Gruyere is due to open in 2023, overlooking a lake in Pont-La-Ville and forming part of the Golf Resort La Gruyere development.

It will have 85 hotel rooms alongside spa, conference and meetings facilities, restaurants, and a world class 18 hole golf course.

Hyatt took over Alila last year as part of its acquisition of lifestyle hotel management group Two Roads Hospitality.

Guido Fredrich, Hyatt regional vice president of development for Europe, said: "The Alila brand offers tremendous potential for growth in Europe by responding to the increasing trend of eco-tourism and wellness travel.

"We also know that well-travelled guests are looking to make impactful connections, and the Alila brand caters to this demand by crafting rare and intimate experiences."

Alila Hotels and Resorts is a hotel management company that operates in Indonesia, India, Oman and China, with their headquarters located in Singapore. Alila Hotels and Resorts is part of the Global Hotel Alliance.

Alila Hotels and Resorts was founded in May 2001 when their first property, "Alila Jakarta", opened its doors in Indonesia’s capital city. The brand was founded primarily by Mark Edleson, Alila operates 11 properties in Asia.

At present Alila Hotels and Resorts has a portfolio of 11 properties located in Indonesia, India and Oman. These hotels and resorts are also members of Design Hotels, which features properties that showcase modern design.
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In December 2012, Alila Hotels and Resorts added a liveaboard Phinisi sailing ship to their portfolio named the Alila Purnama.

It was the brand’s first luxury liveaboard ship. At present, the ship sails over the Indonesian waters of Raja Ampat and the Komodo area.

In May 2014, Alila Hotels and Resorts and Commune Hotels & Resorts announced their new partnership. Commune Hotels & Resorts owns Joie de Vivre Hotels, Thompson Hotels and tommie.RAlila was awarded The Best Foreign Hotel Brand 2010 by Condé Nast Traveller.


Tourism Observer

PAKISTAN: US Slaps Pakistan With Sanctions Over Refusal To Take Back Its Citizen Deportees

The US has imposed sanctions on Pakistan after Islamabad refused to take back its citizen deportees and visa over-stayers from America, warning that it may withhold visas of Pakistanis beginning from its senior officials.

The State Department on Friday said that consular operations in Pakistan remain unchanged as of now but as a result of such a sanction mentioned in a Federal Register notification dated April 22, the US may withhold visas of Pakistanis beginning with its senior officials.

Pakistan is the latest to join the list of 10 nations that have been imposed with sanctions under a US law according to which countries refusing to take back deportees and visa over-stayers will be denied American visas.

Notably eight of these countries have been slapped with such visa sanctions under the Trump administration. Two of them, Ghana and Pakistan have been included in the list this year.

The other countries include Guyana in 2001, the Gambia in 2016, Cambodia, Eritrea, Guinea, and Sierra Leone in 2017, Burma and Laos in 2018.

Under Section 243 (d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Secretary of State is required to discontinue granting immigration or non-immigrant visas to a nation upon receiving notice from the Homeland Security Secretary that the country has denied or is unreasonably delaying accepting a citizen, subject, national or resident of that country.

The State Department tried to downplay the impact of the sanctions on Pakistan.

Consular operations in Pakistan remain unchanged, a State Department Spokesperson told PTI when asked about the federal register notification.

This is a bilateral issue of ongoing discussion between the US and Pakistani governments and we are not going to get into the specifics at this time, the spokesperson said.

Former Pakistan's Ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani, feels that this will make things difficult for Pakistanis.

This measure will create hardship for Pakistanis who want or need to travel to the US and could have been avoided if Pakistani authorities had not ignored American requests to respect their legal requirements for deportation,Haqqani told PTI, days after the federal register notification.

He said that Pakistan's refusal to accept its citizens deported from the US is not new.

Pakistan's refusal to accept every Pakistani citizen deported from the US is not new. It seems that the US is no longer willing to overlook a wide range of official Pakistani behaviour. Bonhomie has been replaced by sanctions and restrictions based on Islamabad's policy decisions, Haqqani said.


Tourism Observer

CAMBODIA: Woman Robbed In Guest House In Phnom Penh

Photo Of Wanted Robber
Police in Phnom Penh are looking for a man suspected of duping a woman he met on Facebook and robbing her of her belongings including more than $3,000 in jewelry on Tuesday.

Captain Chan Seng, deputy chief of Ou’bekka’am commune, said Huon Sophea, a product vendor online, met the suspect known as “Tii Fee” in September on Facebook.

Cap Seng said the two had often chat with each other and would eventually form a relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend.

After months of chatting on Facebook, the suspect on Tuesday invited Ms Sophea to meet him at a guesthouse with a promise of $100 in exchange for sex.

She agreed and the suspect booked a room and waited for her to arrive.

When she entered the room, the suspect held her by the throat and pointed a vegetable knife at her and threatened to kill her, Cap Seng said.

He then snatched her bag, which contained $2,000 in cash, a phone, a gold necklace, gold rings and a gold bracelet, before fleeing the room. The jewelry combined are worth more than $1,000.

After the robbery, Ms Sophea then told the owner of the guesthouse to check their security cameras. However, the guesthouse did not utilise security cameras in its premises.

She later rode her motorbike to the Ou’bekka’am commune police office to file a complaint against the suspect. Colonel Hour Mengvang, chief of Sen Sok district police, yesterday said they do not yet have the identity of the suspect.

We have seen his photos, but we do not know his real name nor his identity, Col Meanvang said. We are now working on this case.


Tourism Observer

THAILAND: Thailand The Land Of Smiles For All, Fights Sex Tourism

At Bangkok’s main Suvarnabhumi airport, a video repeats scenes of tourists visiting Thailand’s sunny beaches and its vibrant nightlife, but at the end comes a warning.

Human trafficking and slavery are against the law in Thailand. Perpetrators will be severely punished, it says, followed by a hotline number for people to report cases.

From airports to shopping malls, Thailand is ramping up a campaign targeting tourists in its latest effort to keep the country free from human trafficking, as officials eye better international ratings.

The nation is consistently ranked as one of the world’s best tourists destinations.

Government data showed Thailand welcomed a record 35 million visitors in 2017, and forecast it to rise to 37.6 million this year.

But it has also come under the international spotlight in recent years over what rights groups describe as widespread human trafficking, including women forced into selling sex and fishermen trapped in conditions akin to modern slavery.

The US State Department last year left Thailand on a Tier 2 Watch list, just above the lowest ranking of Tier 3 – in its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, saying it had not done enough to tackle human smuggling and trafficking.

Eyeing a better ranking, the government has vowed a clean-up. In recent months, it partnered with airlines and charities to warn visitors against involvement in trafficking, while urging them to spot and report potential cases.

Every effort is important, Weerachon Sukhontapatipak, a Thai government spokesman said.

We are doing our best, he said.

Therefore we hope the situation in Thailand will be better, and it will be recognised by the international community.

A growing number of countries around the world are turning to the tourism sector to help combat human trafficking, including training frontline hotel and airline staff to spot the signs.

There has also been a rise of advocacy tourism, where holidaymakers sign up travel packages to learn about issues like modern slavery.

At Thai airports, banners greet visitors with warnings that human trafficking could destroy the country. A video flashes the message: Keep Thailand the Land of Smiles for all.

The government has also enlisted Thai Airways to show anti-trafficking in-flight videos on its international routes since February, said Nuttavika Tamthai, a spokeswoman for the national carrier.

In shopping centre, cinemas and train stations across the capital, Bangkok, videos show visitors how to look out for signs of human trafficking.

Some highlight sex exploitation, while another shows a child begging under a separate campaign called Can You See Me?.

This is a step in the right direction, said Malina Enlund from the anti-trafficking group A21, which has partnered with Thai authorities on the campaign since mid-2017.

The Thai government alone cannot solve the problem. We need the hotel groups, we need the tourists, we need everybody who can to join in, Enlund said.

The Australia-based group is training hotel staff in Thailand’s seaside resort of Pattaya,a hotspot for sex tourism – on how to spot trafficking signs.

The Thai tourism body said in March that Thailand is aiming to move forward as a quality destination and it strongly opposed any form of sex tourism.

An estimated 425,500 people live in conditions of modern slavery in Thailand, according to the Global Slavery Index 2016 by charity Walk Free Foundation, including migrant workers from Cambodia and Laos and women exploited in the sex industry.


Tourism Observer

CAMBODIA: Small Planet Airlines Announces €5.1 million For Year 2017, Wants To Become Largest Carrier In The Baltics

Leisure carrier Small Planet Airlines has announced financial results for the year 2017, reporting a profit of €5.1 million and full recovery from a loss incurred in 2016.

The company grew its yearly revenue to €323.1 million, a 45% increase from the year 2016, and transported 2.7 million passengers – 35% more as compared to the previous year.

Small Planet Airlines reported EBITDA topped €9.6 million, a significant increase from the loss of €0.5 million in 2016.

According to the airline’s estimates, it should become the largest carrier in the Baltic states by passenger flow, revenue, and fleet size already in 2018.

We dedicated last year to stabilizing our operations and learning from mistakes we have made, adding just 1 aircraft to the fleet.

I am glad that this year we can go for a full-speed growth again! 6 additional aircraft will join us in 2018, increasing our fleet to 28 Airbus aircraft.

Passenger numbers are set to increase accordingly – we hope to carry nearly 4 million holidaymakers in 2018.

Revenue should increase by one-third, says Kristijonas Kaikaris, the CEO of Small Planet Airlines.

Improving on-time performance was a key priority in Small Planet Airlines Get it Right strategy last year.

The decision to dedicate two stand-by aircraft paid-off well: only 1.36% of flights encountered delays of 3 hours or longer. The airline is determined to improve this indicator further in 2018.

This year Germany is becoming the fastest-growing market for Small Planet Airlines with 10 aircraft to be based in various German airports.

For years, Poland was the largest market for Small Planet Airlines operations.

However, this year we do not plan any significant growth there, the situation is stable and good, and 1 additional aircraft will join the Polish fleet.

In Germany, on the other hand, the growth exceeds 200% and is influenced by various factors. Firstly, Germany is Europe’s largest aviation market, so the demand is naturally high there.

The insolvency of Air Berlin opened an additional niche.

Secondly, diversification of markets was always among our goals, it is not business-wise to keep your eggs in one basket, says Mr. Kaikaris.

According to him, the airline’s growth in Germany is key to balancing seasonality, since German holidaymakers are less impacted by winter time.

Small Planet Airlines has already sold all available seats in Germany for the upcoming Winter season.

Another strategic market for improving utilization, Asia, is on a way to triple growth.

At the moment, Small Planet Airlines Co. Ltd. operates a fleet of two Airbus aircraft, but the number is estimated to grow to six or even eight aircraft by the end of 2018.

Based in Cambodia, the company focuses on outbound Chinese tourism, currently operating flights between Palau and Hong Kong as well as between Macau and Cambodia, Vietnam, Bali.

Small Planet Airlines will fly 240 routes from 15 European bases in Summer 2018.

The airline’s European fleet will grow to 28 aircraft – 20 Airbus A320s and 8 Airbus A321s.



Tourism Observer

THAILAND: Crackdown On Forced Shopping Tours, Chinese Tourists Opt For Cambodia And Vietnam

With Thailand’s recent crackdown on so-called zero-dollar tours—tour packages priced below cost that often target Chinese travelers and recoup losses from forced shopping and dining—it appears as if neighboring Southeast Asian countries are taking off in its place.

Thailand, previously the number one destination for zero-dollar tours outside China, seems to have succeeded in limiting the notorious tours domestically, but Chinese travelers’ high demand for cheap tours has simply shifted supply elsewhere.

Despite a turbulent year with its recent tourism crackdown and the general unease among tour operators surrounding the Thai king’s passing, Thailand and Japan topped China’s leading online travel marketplace Ctrip’s list of top destinations for the Chinese New Year Golden Week early next year.

If Ctrip’s predictions hold true remains to be seen, but it’s safe to say that reduced visa fees for Chinese tourists—an initiative which started this month—is boosting the attractiveness of tourism in Thailand among Chinese holidaymakers.

For Thailand’s neighbors, the vacuum left by the zero-dollar crackdown provided plenty of opportunities to tap the suddenly untapped demand for cheap overseas travel. As a result, demand for trips to surrounding countries with less regulated tourism industries has picked up, with multiple new air connections between China and Thailand’s neighbors introduced in the last few months.

However, for Thai authorities, there were many reasons to put curbs on Chinese zero-dollar tours. The Thai government has estimated that it lost approximately 70 billion baht (US$2 billion) in tax revenue annually due to the tax-avoiding nature of zero-dollar tours, with profits funneled directly back to China.

Another major concern has been the overcrowding of Thailand’s tourism infrastructure and the fear that budget travelers cannibalize on more profitable market segments.

While not the most profitable market segment, Chinese zero-dollar tourists could still prove a welcome injection of tourism revenues for Thailand’s neighbors. Vietnam, the closest competitor in mainland Southeast Asia, received 7.9 million tourists in 2015—not even a third of Thailand’s 29.9 million arrivals.

In Chinese tourist arrivals, it lags even further behind despite many shared features, such as being a budget-friendly destination that offers many similar geographic traits. Chinese tourists may be beginning to notice, with Vietnam reporting 47.5 percent growth of Chinese arrivals in the first half of 2016.

While foreign tour guides, a feature associated with zero-dollar tours, are officially outlawed in Vietnam, there have been many reported instances of Chinese tour guides operating in the country. Even without zero-dollar tours, the cheaper Vietnam proves a valid competitor for budget-conscious Chinese travelers who would have otherwise gone on zero-dollar tours in Thailand.

Cambodia, another competitor in the market for price-conscious Chinese travelers, is also seeing a growing number of Chinese arrivals and direct flight connections with China. Hun Sen, the Cambodian prime minister, recently announced that he wants to more than double the number of Chinese tourists visiting Cambodia every year—from 800,000 in 2015 to 2 million in 2020.

While demand is picking up in China, Sen himself admitted that Cambodia lacks the number of Mandarin-speaking tour guides required to satisfy demand—presenting an ideal opportunity for Chinese zero-dollar tour operators to capitalize on the opportunity.

For countries with underutilized tourism resources, zero-dollar tours may not seem as off-putting as they are to market leaders like Thailand. While it might be tough to tap into much of the revenue from shopping and tour services provided to tourists on zero-dollar tours, airfare, and to some extent, accommodation strengthen overall tourism revenues.

Both Cambodia’s flag carrier, Cambodia Angkor Air, and several Vietnamese airlines, including its flag carrier, have increased their capacity between China and their respective home countries.

Other countries in Southeast Asia are also gearing up for attracting a larger share of the travel-hungry and rising Chinese middle class. After the rapprochement between China and the Philippines after the election of president Duterte, the Philippines is now considering the introduction of a visa-free policy for Chinese travelers.

Malaysia, meanwhile, has also been picking up steam with Chinese budget travelers to the extent that they have had an effect on Chinese tourism in Singapore, with an increasing number of Chinese visitors to Singapore arriving in tour buses by road from Malaysia and spending significantly less than other Chinese tourists in the city-state.

For China’s rising middle class, budget travel in nearby countries is an attractive and increasingly frictionless affair, with improving visa policies and a growing number of direct flights. While Thailand may be less appealing to the thriftiest travelers than before, neighboring countries are eager to pick up where Thailand left off.


Tourism Observer
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CAMBODIA: China To Surpus Vietnam In Supplying Tourists To Cambodia

Cambodia Association of Travel Agents says China will soon overtake Vietnam as the main source of the country’s tourists.

But there are major concerns over capacity management and how the country’s tourist industry will cope with the shortage of Chinese speaking guides.

The association president, Chhay Sivlin, says that the strengthening of relations between Cambodia and China and the government’s strategy to promote more Chinese tourist arrivals, will accelerate tourist arrivals over the next two years.

A flood of cheap Chinese tours could swamp popular tourist destinations especially in Siem Reap, the main tourist destinations, famed for Angkor Wat a World Heritage site.

But the dominant thread in tourism announcements, made by the private sector and government, is the underlying pressure to reach numerical targets that could compromise the quality of the travel experience and the environment.

The preoccupation is with expansion and catching up with neighbors. The main drivers are airlines that serve the destination from China, many of them offering cheap charter flights that bring in low-revenue package tours.

“Ministry of Tourism still needs to increase direct flights in order to reach the country’s target of welcoming 7 million tourists by 2020, including 2 million Chinese visitors,” he said.

Meanwhile, China came in second with 830,003 visits increasing 19.5% from 694,712 visits, according to Ministry of Tourism’s Statistics and Tourist Information Department figure.

In 2016, 13 airlines launched direct flights from different destinations in the region to Cambodia. The majority of the airlines are from China followed by Japan and Thailand.

Chinese airlines increasing flights, last year, included Hainan Airlines, Lucky Air, Tianjin Airlines, Spring Airlines and Beijing Capital Airlines.

Many opportunities for Cambodian tourism companies, more and more Chinese spend their holiday in their country, and they are becoming more and more rich and like to spend their money.

In 2013, China has overtaken South Korea to become the 2nd largest tourist source to Cambodia, with 305 500 visitors, up 47%, up according to the data from the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism.

Vietnam remained topped the chart among the top ten tourist arrivals to Cambodia with 584,800 tourists during the January-August period this year, up 12 percent year-on- year.

It added that during the first 8months of 2013, Cambodia has received a total of 2.77 million foreign tourists, up 19 % every year.

The minister said the country has set a target to attract between 1.5 million and 2 million Chinese tourists by 2020.

Chinese are rich now, more and more Chinese have been visiting abroad every year.

Close ties between Cambodia and China is an essential base to attract more Chinese to Cambodia.

Excellent ties between the two countries and improving Cambodian tourism quality and services will encourage more Chinese to this Southeast Asia nation in coming years.

Cambodian Minister of Tourism Thong Khon attributed the rise of Chinese traveller to attractive sites such as the Angkor Wat temple, a World Heritage Site, the beautiful coastline, like one of the top most Beautiful Bays.

Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temples, one of the world heritage sites. This Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world and attracted 1.57 million foreign travellers in the first nine of the year, +6% compared with the same period in a year earlier.

During the January-September period this year, the monument welcomed 201,000 Chinese, +60 %.

“China is leading the growth of tourists to the site this year thanks to Cambodia-China excellent ties, broader promotion of the Angkor to the world, and more direct flight connection between Cambodia and China,” Chhoeuy Chhorn, administration chief of the Siem Reap provincial tourism department said.

Last year, the temples attracted 2.06 million foreign visitors, up 28 percent year-on-year.

Shopping

Chinese tourists use to do a lot of Shopping and purchase gifts, and local products.

Entertainement

They also like entertainement and will eat local food, sing in KTV and go to bars. They enjoy massage, and local SPA beauty services.

Hotels
You still have a lot of travellers with low budget, but more and more rich Chinese Business men travel in Cambodia and like nice hotels.

Internet
80% of Chinese people will search information online before their travel , and 66% will use Internet to book flight, hotel and prepare their trip.

You will find a lot of usefull information on many websites about Cambodia, and users’ experiences.
Look this for example

About 830,000 Chinese tourists visited Cambodia in 2016, a 19.5-percent rise year-on-year, according to a Cambodian Tourism Ministry report on Thursday.

Chinese holidaymakers accounted for 16.6 percent of the 5 million international tourists traveling to the Southeast Asian country last year, the report said.

It added that China ranked the second largest source of tourists to Cambodia after Vietnam, whose 959,600 people visited the kingdom last year, down 2.8 percent year-on-year.

Cambodia targets 2 million Chinese tourists by 2020.

Last year, the country launched a white paper which listed steps to be taken by tourism authorities to facilitate visits by Chinese tourists, such as providing Chinese signage and documents for visa processing, encouraging local use of the Chinese yuan currency, encouraging the use of Chinese language, and ensuring that food and accommodation facilities are suited to Chinese tastes.

Cambodia is famous for the 12th century Angkor Archeological Park in northwestern Siem Reap province. Besides, it has a 450-km pristine coastline stretching across four provinces in the country's southwestern part.

Tourism Minister Thong Khon estimated last month that tourism industry earned gross revenue of more than 3 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, accounting for 13 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

CAMBODIA: Angkor Wat Is Eighth Wonder Of The World

They say Angkor Wat is the eighth wonder of the world, with the intricacy and symbolism of the Taj Mahal and the scale and symmetry of the Egyptian pyramids.

It had been on my travel wish list since I was a teenager and our two-week trip through Vietnam and Cambodia was designed around seeing this one building - albeit the largest religious building in the world.

The launchpad for Angkor is Siem Reap. Friends who visited ten years ago described it as 'dusty little streets with artisan crafts'.

Getting there was supposed to be an exclusive expedition. Today, however, giant neon signs point to 'Pub Street' and Western cover bands blast from the bars.

Cheap flights connect Siem Reap to the rest of Asia and tourists come in their thousands, every day. However, our sweltering seven-hour bumpy bus from the capital, Phnom Penh, meant we were at least earning our wonder.

And we hoped that a dawn start at Angkor the next day might allow some privacy.

Arriving outside the temple, the moonlight caught a huge body of water, a moat over a mile long. I hadn't been ready for such scale and ambition in architecture.

My girlfriend and I picked our way across the bridge and through the outer wall into the inner complex. And there it was, appearing in the half-light as the sun rose behind it, the towers of Angkor Wat. It was reassuringly breathtaking.

But we weren't alone - the soft light revealed thousands of others, almost clambering over each other, all sold the 'dawn package'.

As the temple moved out of its cloak of silhouette, we stood as a saluting army of raised arms and our cameras clicked, echoing the surrounding jungle of crickets.

Of course, there are dozens of temples at the Angkor complex. We persisted through the heat and humidity to giant Buddhist carvings and fig trees growing entwined in ancient bricks as if building sets for Indiana Jones.

All the while the others were there, and I persistently and carefully angled my camera to avoid them, as I tried to convince myself we had the place to ourselves.

But it was an illusion. It was like taking photos at the zoo and pretending you were on safari.

We made it through to sunset on the top of view-giving Pre Rup temple, with 150 others vying for space. The selfie sticks were clashing against each other as the excited crowd posed by pretending to catch the sun or even swallow it.

As our illuminating companion for the day was finally consumed by the trees, the others descended, ushered by an officious guard. But we loitered, still trying to catch our private moment and here it was.

The guard, thinking the temple top was cleared, paused and softened. He sat down and looked out to the distant red sky and he smiled. The secret pleasure he'd been waiting for all day was the exclusive experience we'd come to find.

Te Teuk Pus Hot Spring, located near the mountainside village of Phnom Te village in Oral district, about 60 km west of Kampong Speu town.

Cambodian government will soon develop the area into a special attraction.

Tourism and provincial environment officials will work together to establish the hot spring area. this is a rare tourist attraction and has features that can attract international travelers.

After a recent inspection, experts from Japan concluded the hot springs have good quality water with minerals that could be beneficial for skin care and beauty.

Te Teuk Pus Hot Spring is 100 meters in circumference. The hot spring water comes from six sources and has a high sulfur content emitting a pungent smell. Water temperature is 70 degree Celsius, according to the reports.

Kampong Speu province borders the provinces of Pursat and Kampong Chhnang to the north, Kandal to the east, Takeo to the southeast, Kampot to the south and Koh Kong to the west. Its capital is Kampong Speu town.

Last year, Cambodia welcomed 5,011,712 international travelers increasing 5.0% compared to 4,775,231 visits in 2015.

The country targets to welcome 7 million tourists by 2020.

Apsara authority has announced it will restrict visits to the top of Phnom Bakheng hill, a popular spot for for sunset photography where an ancient temple is located.

A maximum of 300 visitors will be allowed to visit the hill top temple at any one time.

Agence Kampuchea Presse quoted Apsara’s Tourism Management Agency president, Phoeun Sophoan, saying the limit on visitors will help to protect the ancient hill top temple .

“The authority has also arranged places for tourists to see the sunset on the hill without going up to the hill top temple.”

The report did not explain how Apsara will manage the crowd, but to ensure not more than 300 people are on the hilly knoll at any one time would probably require a head count through entry and exit points to control the flow.

Located in Angkor region, Siem Reap province, Phnom Bakheng is a 65-metre-high temple mountain built between the end of the 9th century and early 10th century, during the reign of King Yasovarman I.

Located on the top of a hill, it is now a popular tourist spot for sunset viewing with excellent views of the bigger Angkor Wat, which stands about 1.5 km to the southeast.

The large number of visitors makes Phnom Bakheng one of the most threatened monuments of the Angkor Historical Park.

Since 2004, World Monuments Fund has been working to conserve the temple in partnership with Apsara.

CAMBODIA: Laos And Cambodia Sign Aviation Cooperation Agreement

Laos and Cambodia on Monday signed a document agreeing on the need to increase flights between them to meet the growing demand for air transport.

The head of the air transport division in the Department of Civil Aviation, Viengsay Singkham, yesterday said the minute of a meeting between aviation officials from the two countries was signed in Cambodia following the meeting.

The document aims to amend the Aviation Cooperation Agreement between Laos and Cambodia to help regional airlines increase flights between both countries in a bid to promote tourism and economic development.

Officials from both sides will submit the outcomes of the meeting to their higher authorities and proceed with the next steps to amend the agreement.

The director for Air Transport at Cambodia’s State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, Vann Chanty, said that the move will push airlines in both countries to operate more flights between Cambodia and Laos due to increasing demand from tourists.

“We need to update the agreement to comply with reality and the demands of the market,” Chanty was quoted as saying.

There are three airlines offering flights between Laos and Cambodia: Cambodia Angkor Air, Lao Airlines and Vietnam Airlines; they operate 21 flights a week.

Chanty said the passenger load between the two countries increased by 5 per cent last year to 178,000 and he believed the figure would hit 200,000 in the next two years.

Director-general of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, Keo Sivorn, said the new agreement would make it easier for airlines to have direct flights between Cambodia and Laos and would open up new routes, such as from Phnom Penh and Preah Sihanouk to Vientiane or Luang Prabang.

Lao and Cambodian officials say that increasing transport connectivity will boost tourism growth in both countries .

LAOS: Kingfisher Ecolodge In The Emerald Triangle

Welcome to Champasak Province, the southern-most province of Laos, a place also known as the "Emerald Triangle" being the crossroad between Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, the newest travel destination in Indochina where it is still possible to see and feel the genuine lifestyle and natural beauty of this enigmatic Country.

Our vision is to provide our guests with a comfortable, intimate experience with exotic nature in a unique environment such as in the Beung Kiat Ngong Wetlands (part of RAMSAR Convention) of the Xe Pian NPA (Natural Protected Area) which is one of the most attractive of all of the NPAs scattered throughout the Laotian territory.
We endeavour to do this in a way that is environmentally and socially responsible

Our ultimate goal is to meet the expectations of travelers looking for a different kind of tourism, by searching new feelings and reflections by experiencing unique and relaxing events like staring at a bright night stars parading in the tropical sky or just watching elephants and water buffalo grazing in slow motion while a far away flock of white birds plays in the distant blue skies of Laos.

The Kingfisher Ecolodge staff, wish you a pleasant trip and we hope to be welcoming you soon!

TANZANIA: Infant Rats Training To Detect Trafficked Pangolin Parts And Smuggled Hardwood Timber In Morogoro

The pangolin, a scaly anteater coveted by poachers, might have a new champion: rats that will be trained to sniff out trafficked pangolin parts in shipments heading from Africa to Asia.

A pilot project to turn African giant pouched rats into conservationist sleuths is literally in its infancy — the 10 to 15 rodents being reared in Tanzania to detect pungent pangolin remains as well as smuggled hardwood timber are just a few weeks old and most are still with their mothers.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service , however, is on board with the vermin trial, which organisers hope can eventually be used to find hidden elephant ivory and rhino horn. The American agency has provided $100,000 to support what it says could be “an innovative tool in combating illegal wildlife trade.”

The challenge seems overwhelming.

Conservationists describe the pangolin as the world’s most heavily trafficked mammal because its meat is considered a delicacy in Vietnam and some parts of China, and its scales are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Wildlife contraband is concealed among vast numbers of shipping containers that annually leave Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, Mombasa in Kenya and other African ports.

Yet APOPO , a non-profit group based in Tanzania, already harnesses the rats’ keen sense of smell to find mines and other explosive material on old battlefields in Angola, Mozambique and, more recently, Cambodia. The organization also uses rats to detect tuberculosis in sputum samples of patients in Tanzania and Mozambique.

The rats in the conservation project will start “socialisation training,” which means being carried around on people’s shoulders and in their pockets, being driven around and generally getting used to sights and sounds, APOPO spokesman James Pursey said.

Then comes “click and reward” training in which the rats are fed a treat whenever they hear a clicking sound, and they’ll eventually learn to link the gamey smell of pangolin scales with edible rewards.

Later, the intensity of the pangolin smell will be reduced and other smells will be added to confuse the rats. The ultimate aim is to train the rodents to scratch or linger over the pangolin or hardwood aroma for three seconds, tipping handlers to a possible find.

APOPO is confident it can get rats to discriminate between a pangolin scent and other smells, and “the challenge is going to be how the rats actually test the containers,” Pursey said.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust , a South African group leading the project, said the trial “builds on the use of scent detection by dogs, but will take advantage of the rats’ added agility and ability to access the container vents, which would provide the most air from the container, and potentially the most scent. Alternatively, the rats will detect scents sampled onto a filter through the vents.”

Handlers can dispatch rats with leashes and harnesses into hard-to-reach areas, but then “how are they going to tell us that they’ve found something?” said Kirsty Brebner of the Endangered Wildlife Trust.

One option being considered is to install small cameras on the backs of the rats, an idea that has been discussed for the detection of people trapped in collapsed buildings after an earthquake or bombing.

WWF and TRAFFIC have supported “successful” tests using dogs and air-filtering technology to detect wildlife contraband, “but we are still learning the best ways to apply the system for prime time, permanent applications,” said Crawford Allan, a leader of an anti-wildlife crime initiative launched by the two conservation groups.

“Dogs do need a lot of care and we won’t risk them crawling into tight spaces where they could be injured — so bringing in a conservation ‘pied piper’ and a squad of rats could help in those circumstances where they can move freely, with low risk in more cramped conditions inside shipping containers or on the back of trucks etc.,” Allan said in an email. He is not involved in the rat research.

If the training goes well, it could still be another year or so before the rats finally get to work. They’ll stick to cargo perusal rather than, for example, checking out people’s luggage in airports. Travelers, Pursey of APOPO said, wouldn’t be “particularly enamored” to have vermin crawling on their belongings.

THAILAND: Sophia Altamirano New Vice President Sales At ONYX Hospitality Group

Thailand-based ONYX Hospitality Group has appointed Sophia Altamirano as its Vice President of Sales. She will be based at the Bangkok headquarters.

Altamirano brings with her 19 years of experience in the hospitality industry, having worked with various brands in different roles, including 14 years with AccorHotels Group, working with Mercure, Grand Mercure, Novotel and Sofitel properties in the Philippines and Vietnam as Director of Sales and Marketing before moving to her first corporate role as Regional Director of Sales responsible for Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore hotels. She was subsequently appointed Regional Director of Sales for Upper Southeast Asia based in Bangkok, responsible for seven major brands across more than 90 properties in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, the Philippines and Myanmar, followed by a move into operations as the Executive Assistant Manager at Pullman Bangkok Sukhumvit.

In her current role with ONYX Hospitality Group, Altamirano will be overseeing the sales function and managing the Group’s sales efforts. She will work closely with general managers across the ONYX portfolio and their sales and marketing teams.

Commenting on her new role with ONYX, Altamirano said: “I look forward to bringing my experience and expertise to the ONYX Sales team as we work together with our properties to achieve their goals. It is a very exciting time for ONYX as we expand into new territories and develop new and additional properties in existing and upcoming regions, many of which I have previously worked in.”

CAMBODIA: Will Accepting Yuan Attract Chinese Tourists

In a bid to attract more Chinese tourists into the country, Cambodia is accepting payments in yuan. But many Cambodians oppose the measure, saying the government should promote the use of its own currency instead.

Cambodia’s government aims to more than double the number of Chinese tourists visiting the country by 2020. China is currently the second-largest source of tourists to Cambodia after Vietnam, with nearly 700,000 Chinese visitors traveling to the country in 2015, according to Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism.

Although the number has been growing rapidly in recent years, the government wants to boost the arrivals further, to reach about 2 million Chinese tourists per year by 2020. To that end, it is encouraging the use of the Chinese currency, the yuan or the renminbi (RMB), within Cambodia.

“With this decision, Chinese tourists in Cambodia will be spared the hassle of having to go to money exchangers to convert their currency into either the US dollars or the riel,” Tith Chantha, a secretary of state at the tourism ministry, said.

The official noted that the government has also been implementing other measures to make it easier for Chinese nationals to visit the Southeast Asian country. “We are taking a host of steps such as simplifying the visa process for Chinese citizens and increasing the usage of Chinese language at tourist sites,” Chantha said.

Cambodia’s tourism sector already relies heavily on visitors from China, with many hotels and casinos catering to predominantly Chinese tourists.

“More businesses may decide to accept payments in RMB if that makes them more profitable, but the concerns about exchange rate fluctuation and counterfeiting are likely to limit this,” Joseph Lovell of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia, said.

Lovell said that if Chinese tourists knew they could readily use RMB in Cambodia, it might encourage more visits.

Moreover, Phnom Penh has been one of Beijing’s closest allies in the region in recent years. Both countries also share a deep economic engagement, with China emerging as a major source of foreign investment and aid for Cambodia.

Trade volume between the two countries stood at around $4.4 billion in 2015, an 18-percent increase year-on-year. And both sides aim to raise it to about $5 billion by 2017.

And the latest move to accept yuan payments is seen by many as part of the efforts by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government to deepen Cambodia’s partnership with China.

Still, many in Cambodia view the decision with concern, particularly given that the country’s economy is already heavily dollarized.

It is estimated that the US dollar accounts for some 83 percent of total transactions and over 90 percent of banking deposits in Cambodia. While the widespread use of the dollar has made the country an attractive destination for foreign investment, it has also meant a loss of monetary independence, which leaves the country more vulnerable to swings in the global economy.

Its central bank therefore encouraged Cambodians last year to use the riel. As part of the strategy, it wanted to organize public education and marketing campaigns to raise awareness about the benefits of using the local currency.

Against this backdrop, many are surprised by the government’s recent decision to encourage use of the yuan and fear a negative effect on the central bank’s riel drive.

“Although the decision will bolster bilateral trade relations, it will negatively affect the efforts of Cambodia’s central bank to increase the usage of the riel in domestic transactions,” Chan Sophal, the spokesman for the Cambodian Economic Association (CEA), said.

The announcement on the yuan also drew a negative reaction on social media, with some accusing the government of sufficiently promoting the riel.

This measure is not needed, Serey N. Hum wrote on Facebook. “What the ministry should do is to promote our notes rather than others’ currency notes. If our country provides firm security, good services, good environment (cleanliness); tourists will come,” Serey said.

“It’s gonna be a strategy but it gonna ruin our currency as well. See, Thailand use Baht everywhere and how many tourists they get. Find other ways please,” another Facebook user Leangheang Lim noted.

Leangheang was referring to the fact that Thailand allows only the use of its domestic currency for payments within the country. And still, 7.9 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand in 2015, ten times more than the number of those who traveled to Cambodia.

Analysts therefore believe the issue of currency doesn’t play a major role in terms of attracting more tourists into the country.

“Compared to other Southeast Asian countries, we’re still lagging when it comes to our infrastructure, services and transportation,” underlined CEA spokesperson Sophal. “The government has to pay more attention to these areas if it wants to achieve its goal of boosting the tourism sector on a large scale.”

Boeing And ANA Celebrate Delivery Of 787 Dreamliner

Boeing and ANA celebrated the delivery of the airline’s 50th 787 Dreamliner during a ceremony today at Boeing’s Everett Delivery Center.

The milestone marks yet another record for ANA as it becomes the world’s first airline to operate 50 787 Dreamliners.

“The 787 Dreamliner has played a significant role in opening up new routes into new markets, while also forming the backbone of our long-haul fleet,” said Osamu Shinobe, president and CEO, ANA. “As the launch customer of the 787 Dreamliner family, we are proud to welcome the 50th 787 Dreamliner into our fleet, where it will continue to serve our passengers with the most innovative and memorable flying experience.”

As part of efforts to expand its global network, ANA also announced plans to launch new routes from Tokyo, Narita to Phnom Penh, Cambodia in September this year and Mexico City, Mexico in February next year using 787 Dreamliners.

ANA became the launch customer of the 787 when it purchased 50 in 2004, and was the first to bring the airplane into service in 2011. The airline operates more than 11 percent of all 787s around the world today and has flown an estimated 125,000 flights with the Dreamliner.

“As the launch customer of the 787 and our largest 787 customer, we are honored to celebrate this important milestone with ANA,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner.

“ANA is a valued Boeing customer and has been a vital partner on this program. Today’s event demonstrates the strength of our enduring relationship and we look forward to introducing the 787-10 to ANA in the coming years to complete the entire family of 787 Dreamliners in their fleet.”

Already the world’s largest Dreamliner operator, ANA has an additional 33 787s on order, including the longest and newest member of the family, the 787-10. The airline also has 20 777-9 airplanes on order.

ANA recently showcased its 50th 787 Dreamliner at the Farnborough International Airshow, performing high-performance demonstration flights for thousands in attendance and wowing millions of fans around the world on the internet.

Sex Tourism Spreads And Booms

Portugal, Moldova and Ukraine in Europe, and Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam in Asia have emerged as new child sex tourism destinations, prompting activists to call for governments to include measures to protect children in their tourism plans.

Sex tourism has spread around the world to countries that were previously inaccessible as tourism has boomed over the past 20 years and travelling has become cheaper, said a study published on Thursday by global child protection network ECPAT.

The number of international tourists almost doubled from 527 million in 1995 to 1.14 billion in 2014, it said.

In Asia, Thailand´s efforts to clean up its image as a sex tourism destination and crack down on the crime, has had the unintended effect of pushing sex tourists to Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, it said.

In Europe, Moldova, Portugal and Ukraine have emerged as new sex tourism destinations.

"Many of these countries which are starting to open up - understandably they see tourism as a fantastic economic development sector," Mark Capaldi, ECPAT´s head of policy and research, said.

He said countries looking for economic opportunities from tourism often ignore the risks that some international tourists pose to children and lack the laws to protect them.

Countries need to assess the impact of tourism development projects from a child protection perspective before rushing into them, he said.

"It´s much more difficult to claw back and change the reputation of a place if it becomes seen as a hotbed of child sex tourism," Capaldi said in a phone interview.

The study said a lack of data makes it difficult to assess the scale of global child sex exploitation but the crime has outpaced attempts to curb it over the past two decades.

Capaldi said the growth in online bookings and private rental accommodation has contributed to the spread of sex tourism as this has made it easier for perpetrators to remain anonymous.

The study said children from minority groups, boys and young children are far more vulnerable to sex tourism than was previously thought, as are girls and children living in poverty.

Its recommendations include creating support systems for child victims of sex exploitation in all countries, curbing the online sale of children for sex, and creating systems to enable law enforcement agencies to share information about offenders.

CAMBODIA: Proposed Border Highway Threatens Wildlife In Protected Cambodian Forest

Silvered langur monkeys climb on a tree along a river in Mondulkiri province in eastern Cambodia

A new border crossing between Vietnam and Cambodia will drive certain endangered animal species closer to extinction if it is built through a protected forest in Cambodia, according to an international environmental group that urges scrapping the highway plan.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has called for the 36-kilometer (24-mile) Srea Ampom-Kbal Damrei proposed asphalt road and border crossing project to be cancelled to protect the most endangered species of the Mondulkiri Protected Forest in eastern Cambodia’s Mondulkiri Province, the country’s largest but most sparsely populated province which borders three Vietnamese provinces.

The 4,300-square-kilometer (1,660-square-mile) area is home to 23 mammal, bird, reptile and tree species listed as endangered or critically endangered, WWF said in a news release last month. Many of them have become extinct elsewhere in Southeast Asia because of habitat loss and hunting for illegal wildlife products.

The forest is also the proposed site for the Cambodian government’s plans to reintroduce tiger populations.

“Mondulkiri Protected Forest is a treasure trove of biodiversity and has been identified by the Cambodian government as the site of a planned tiger reintroduction,” said Sam Ath Chhith, country director of WWF-Cambodia. “Unfortunately, both the spectacular biodiversity and the tiger reintroduction are in jeopardy if this border crossing and road are built through the core zone of the protected forest.”

The new border crossing and road will seriously fragment the habitat of the 23 species in Mondulkiri Protected Forest, while providing little economic benefit, WWF said.

Some of the most endangered animal and plant species include the banteng, a species of wild cattle found in Southeast Asia which has declined by more than 80 percent in the past half-century and is now restricted to small populations in Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Other endangered species at risk in the Mondulkiri Protected Forest are the giant ibis, Siamese crocodile, slender-billed vulture, Eld’s deer, dipterocarpus alatus tropical hardwood tree, silvered langur (monkey), masked finfoot (water fowl) and elongated tortoise. Many of these species have become endangered because of hunting, deforestation and habitat loss.

The WWF said it is backing the Cambodia’s government efforts to reintroduce tigers to the protected forest, where breeding populations no longer exist because of habitat loss, poaching and loss of their prey base.

“The key to ensuring a successful tiger reintroduction is to keep the landscape as intact and unfragmented as possible, which means no border crossing and road.” Tom Gray, manager of species conservation for WWF Greater Mekong, said in the news release.

Forest is vital for villagers

The WWF also issued a call in late January for the cancellation of the proposed road and border crossing claiming that it would damage the Mondulkiri Protected Forest—a UNESCO World Heritage site candidate.

The organization also said the protected forest is vital for communities that rely on its ecosystem to provide them fresh water, food and livelihoods, but that the road would not improve access to any existing villages.

WWF has said that the reintroduction of tigers could be a potential tourism driver generating long-term revenue for local communities and the provincial government, but warned that the proposed road could derail the tiger restoration program and increase wildlife trafficking between Cambodia and Vietnam.

“There is simply too much to lose and very little to gain if this road is built,” Sam Ath Chhith said in January. “Mondulkiri Protected Forest is without question a world class ecosystem, and it should remain exactly what its name says—‘protected’ for future generations of both people and wildlife.”

Donor countries have contributed $10 million to protect the area since the government designated it a protected forest in July 2002, according to an article in the Khmer Times last month.

The article noted that the proposed road would cut through a 19-kilometer (12-mile) special ecosystem zone designated for the tiger-reintroduction program inside the protected forest.

Moul Path, a WWF manager based in Mondulkiri, told the news organization that he believed the road was being built to facilitate logging because the province already had four existing checkpoints along its 210-kilometer border with Vietnam.

The article went on to say that Interior Minister Sar Kheng and Mondulkiri province authorities had assured donor countries and conservation groups that the road would not be built though the protected forest.

But the Khmer Times cited leaked memos in which Sar Kheng had written to Foreign Minister Hor Namhong last December about the establishment of a border crossing at Kbal Damrei on the forest’s southeastern border to link the checkpoint with Sre Ampom to the south.

A second leaked memo indicated that Sar Kheng ordered the governor of Mondulkiri province to arrange an official inauguration of the Kbal Damrei border checkpoint and provincial authorities to plan for infrastructure development there.

GHANA: Ghana Named Among World’s Top Travel Destinations For 2016

Ghana has been listed among 36 countries to be visited by travellers in 2016. The list was compiled by a group of 35 experienced and well-travelled bloggers from around the world, who specialise in adventure travel, ecotourism, cultural travel and family travel.

Ghana continues to find a sustainable means of expanding and harnessing its tourism potential in order to attract local and foreign tourists alike.

In recent times, the country’s Tourism Ministry and its implementing agency, the Ghana Tourism Authority have continued to introduce and expand a wide array of tourism related programmes and activities in order to sustain interest and increase earnings within the sector.

A member of the group who usually writes about the country, Elin Reitehaug reiterates this by a short summary on the country’s tourism sector; ‘’you are invited’’ is the standard phrase uttered when Ghanaians start eating. As a traveler in Ghana, you are always invited. Hike Afadjato, the highest mountain in Ghana, or go bird watching on a canopy walk in the rainforest of Kakum National Park, the country’s first protected area. To spot elephants, visit Mole National Park.

In Bolgantaga you’ll discover the rich culture of the Frafra people, known for weaving the world-famous Bolga baskets. In Elmina and along Cape Coast you’ll find several castles and forts recognised by UNESCO. Enjoy the beaches, which are popular for locals during weekends and holidays, when families and young people come to swim and play. Learn to play drums from energetic musicians at the Art Centre in Accra, or attend cultural events such as festivals and traditional celebrations of birth, marriage and death.’

The list also comprised countries such as, Quebec, South Africa, India, Bolivia, Brazil, Botswana, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Colombia, Cuba, Ethiopia, Greenland, Madagascar, Mauritius, Canada, South Africa, among others and was put together by Green Global Travel, an Ecotourism, Nature/Wildlife Conservation and Cultural Preservation Magazine.

SRI LANKA: Thomson Starts Sri Lanka Packages

Thomson is introducing Sri Lanka for winter 2016 and is eyeing up other long haul destinations in Asia and the Caribbean.

Weekly, direct flights to Colombo will operate from London Gatwick on the operator's 787 Dreamliner aircraft, with various stay and tour options.

Managing director Nick Longman said customers could choose from a seven-night or four-night discovery tour of the destination, combined with stays in a number of hotels, including the Riu Sri Lanka and the Club Hotel Dolphin. Prices will be released next month.

He also said the destination could become year-round, depending on the success of the winter programme.

Meanwhile, the operator is considering Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia along with British Caribbean destinations including Antigua, St Lucia and Barbados.

The announcement came as Thomson and First Choice released the results of a survey of 2,000 adults which showed 77% are happy to travel nine hours or more to reach their 'dream' destination.

It also found 89% now travel long haul at least once every five years, and 21% travel long haul every year.

"With other long haul destinations in the pipeline, we expect to see this trend continue as British holidaymakers look to visit new places they may never have been to before," said Longman.

Khiri Travel Showcases Culinary Experiences In Asia

Tour options celebrate the relationship between food and travel

Khiri Travel has introduced seven culinary experiences across five countries that showcase authentic local food in iconic settings.

The signature food experiences have been designed to give a visceral flavour of places including Myanmar, Indonesia and Thaialand..

The seven options include a Bagan ‘royal feast’ of 30 dishes in Myanmar, a picnic in the grounds beside a giant Buddhist shrine in Sri Lanka, and lunch in the gardens beside ancient Mon ruins in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

In Indonesia visitors can go to a market in Lombok and then prepare their own local sasak meal in a shaded bamboo retreat beside rice paddis. In Bali, guests visit the Sindhu night market and eat snacks such as sate, bakso soup, gadogado or mee goring.

In Yogyakarta, a guided tour of the Malioboro area allows guests to sample dishes such as gudeg (jackfruit curry with egg), soto daging (beef soup), and an array of sweet meats in a local market. In Cambodia, Khiri Travel has arranged for a spread of Khmer snacks to be prepared for guests cruising on the moat at Angkor Thom in the early evening.

André van der Marck, VP of Khiri Travel, said: “Each culinary offering can be tailored as a tour in its own right or as part of a full-day, half-day or multiple-day tour.”

“All the dining experiences can be prepared to a budget or modified for guests who prefer things spicy, mild, with or without certain meats or with local or international soft drinks or alcohol.”

CHINA: Police Crack Phone Scam Gangs Targeting Hong Kong And mainland China

Fraud suspects arrested in Indonesia and Cambodia arrive back on the mainland.

In an unprecedented joint operation, police from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan cracked two overseas-based syndicates operating phone scams and made 431 arrests.

One gang, set up in Indonesia, had allegedly duped Hongkongers out of HK$118 million in 431 cases this year, police sources said. The other syndicate operated in Cambodia and did not target Hong Kong.

Another racket that preys on Hongkongers is still believed to be operating in the Philippines.

"It will be our next target," said a source close to the operation.

Intelligence indicated all three gangs were headed by people from Taiwan.

The operation was coordinated by the mainland's Ministry of Public Security and involved officers working with their counterparts in regional countries. It came to light when 254 mainland suspects arrested in Indonesia and Cambodia last month were sent back to Beijing, Hangzhou , Shanghai and Guangzhou on chartered flights yesterday.

Xinhua said the Indonesia-based syndicate involved more than 3,000 reports of telephone scams in Hong Kong and the mainland.

Veteran soprano Li Yuanrong, 73, who was duped out of more than HK$20 million in Hong Kong, was one of the victims.

Calling it the "biggest and most sophisticated telephone deception syndicate", the source said the gang set up its base in Indonesia, where 224 people from the mainland and Taiwan were arrested on October 19.

Guangdong police picked up a further 39 suspects.

Police from Hong Kong, the mainland and Taiwan are understood to have gone to Indonesia last month ahead of a series of raids on eight locations. But none of the victims' money had been recovered and no Hong Kong residents were arrested.

"The victims deposited money in different mainland bank accounts, which was then transferred to Taiwan," the source said. "Officers lost track of the money after it went to Taiwan. Police are still investigating how the gang laundered the money."

Police said the syndicate recruited mainlanders and Taiwanese to make scam calls from Indonesia. Members were given a script outlining their roles and what to say over the phone.

One call centre was set up in a luxury villa in the Indonesian city of Surabaya. New members were locked up, had their passports confiscated and were barred from using their phones.

"To avoid detection, the internet calls were made through many computer servers located in mainland China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Hong Kong and other Asian places," another source said. He said Hong Kong police were responsible for locating the call centres with overseas help and identifying the syndicate's key figures.

The gang in Cambodia was broken up when police raided three locations and arrested 168 people in a joint operation on October 29.

Some suspects portrayed themselves as victims, claiming they "felt pressure every day". They worked from 8am to 5pm and were forced to submit the details of 150 prospective victims each month, mainland police said. Some gang members had been recruited with bogus job offers.

They were the first arrests since the State Council set up an inter-ministry task force in June to crack down on such crime.

In the past 10 months, fraudsters posing as mainland officials have duped Hongkongers out of HK$266 million in 1,255 cases. Victims are typically told they have broken mainland laws and have to prove their willingness to cooperate by transferring money to mainland bank accounts.