THAILAND: Phi Phi Islands Short Of Drinking Water Caused By Many Tourists

It is only natural to cast a backwards glance at the year that was. For travel, the past 12 months have been dominated by one increasingly pertinent problem: overtourism. From urban honeypots such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Kyoto and beautiful Tung Chung, to tropical hotspots Boracay and Maya Bay, the consequences of unmanaged visits from ever-swelling hordes have become impossible to ignore.

Sadly, it doesn’t look like the issue will have abated as the opening bars of Auld Lang Syne usher in the new year.

During the driest period of the year – from November to April – the island is packed with tourists, causing water demand to rise sharply.

Koh Phi Phi Don – the largest of the Phi Phi Islands, which are also home to ill-fated Maya Bay – is in the grip of a drinking water crisis. Of course, too many thirsty tourists are to blame.

Researchers from Kasetsart University found that freshwater sources on the 9.7 sq km island cannot meet demand from the rising number of visitors, particularly during peak season.

Sitang Pilailar, Kasetsart’s lead researcher, said: During the driest period of the year – from November to April – the island is packed with tourists, causing water demand to rise sharply, and meanwhile there’s no rain to refill the two freshwater ponds that are the only sources for piped water on the island.

Consider that these two limited sources are expected to cater to the thousands of tourists occupying the 205 water-guzzling hotels on Koh Phi Phi Don listed on TripAdvisor and it quickly becomes apparent why the island is struggling to cope.

Local government official Phankam Kittithonkul said that although the issue was not new, it had become too big for local residents to resolve on their own, adding that the 170 million baht (US$5.1 million) administration budget for the island, which is allocated by the central government according to population, did not take visitor numbers into account.

There are thought to be between 2,000 and 3,000 permanent residents on Koh Phi Phi Don; presumably, the island’s freshwater sources are sufficient to provide for their much more modest needs.

So, what can be done by you, the travelling sponge? Well, the easy answer is: stay away. Or, if you are concerned about water scarcity and you should be, at our current rate of consumption, two-thirds of the world population could face shortages by 2025, according to the global conservation body WWF.

Choose to stay in properties that recycle greywater and harvest rainwater – they might not sound sexy, but such undertakings help reduce your impact on the environment.

On that note, maybe don’t indulge in that extra-long shower next time you holiday, something many of us are guilty of doing. On its website, the International Tourism Partnership (ITP) notes: In most countries, water consumption per guest in hotels vastly exceeds that of the local population. Island nations and tourism destinations are often most at risk of water shortages.

In August, ITP, the self-declared voice for social and environmental responsibility in the hotel industry, published the Destination Water Risk Index, which identifies locations in which water risk is highest, in an effort to raise awareness and encourage the implementation of stewardship strategies such as greywater and rainwater recycling at properties in the worst-affected areas.

According to the list, the 12 locations most at risk of water stress are Beijing, Hangzhou, Qingdao and Xian, in China; New Delhi and Mumbai, in India; Bali, Jakarta and Surabaya, in Indonesia; Manila, in the Philippines; Bangkok, in Thailand; and Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

That’s right, all 12 are in Asia, and while the list is angled towards the hospitality industry, it should not be ignored by those of us who depend on that industry when we travel – so almost all of us, in other words.


Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: Authorities Divert Flights From Anak Krakatau Volcano

Indonesia on Thursday raised the alert level for the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano to the second-highest, and ordered all flights to steer clear, days after it triggered a tsunami that killed at least 430 people.

A crater collapse on the volcanic island at high tide on Saturday sent waves up to 5 metres high smashing into the coast on the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Bali.

Authorities have warned that the crater of Anak Krakatau, or child of Krakatau, remains fragile, raising fears of another collapse and tsunami, and have urged residents to stay away from the coast.

There are also fears of a bigger eruption.

The volcano has been rumbling on and off since July but has been particularly active since Sunday, spewing lava and rocks, and sending huge clouds of ash up to 3,000 metres into heavily overcast skies.

The national geological agency, in raising the alert level to the second-highest, set a 5-km exclusion zone around the island.

Since December 23, activity has not stopped, we anticipate a further escalation, said Antonius Ratdomopurbo, secretary of the geological agency.

A thin layer of volcanic ash has been settling on buildings, vehicles and vegetation along the west coast of Java since late on Wednesday, according to images shared by the national disaster mitigation agency.

Authorities said the ash was not dangerous, but advised residents to wear masks and goggles when outside, while aircraft were ordered away.

All flights are rerouted due to Krakatau volcano ash on red alert, the government air-traffic control agency AirNav said in a release.

The civil aviation authority said no airports would be affected. The capital, Jakarta, is about 155 km east of the volcano.

In 1883, the volcano then known as Krakatoa erupted in one of the biggest blasts in recorded history, killing more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunami and lowering the global surface temperature by one degree Celsius with its ash.

A tsunami in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait struck two of the country’s islands without warning, killing at least 222 people and injuring more than 700, officials said here yesterday.

Hundreds of buildings were destroyed by the three-foot wave, which hit the coast of southern Sumatra and the western tip of Java about 14.30pm GMT (6.30pm UAE time) on Saturday after a volcano known as the “child” of Krakatoa erupted, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

No earthquake was recorded and no tsunami warning was issued, said Rahmat Triyono, earthquake and tsunami chief at Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. We don’t know what caused the tsunami yet, he said.

Search and rescue teams were scouring rubble for survivors, with 222 people confirmed dead, 843 people injured and 28 missing, Nugroho said.

Tsunamis triggered by volcanic eruptions are relatively rare, caused by the sudden displacement of water or slope failure, according to the International Tsunami Information Centre.

Unlike those triggered by earthquakes, they give authorities no time to warn residents of the impending threat. Ben van der Pluijm, an earthquake geologist and a professor in the University of Michigan, said the tsunami may have been caused by a partial collapse of Anak Krakatoa.

Instability of the slope of an active volcano can create a rock slide that moves a large volume of water, creating local tsunami waves that can be very powerful. This is like suddenly dropping a bag of sand in a tub filled with water, he said.

Videos from the regency of Pandeglang in Java’s Banten province showed extensive damage. More than 400 homes, nine hotels and at least ten vessels were damaged or destroyed in Pandeglang, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster management agency, said on Twitter.

The area hit by the tsunami is popular with tourists from Jakarta, the capital, and many people were at the beach on Saturday when the wave struck around 9.30pm (local time).

Rahmat said no tsunami warning had been issued because such warnings are prompted by tectonic activity and no earthquake had occurred.

In September, an earthquake struck the island of Sulawesi, setting off an underwater landslide and tsunami that struck the city of Palu and surrounding areas. More than 2,100 people died.

TV images showed the seconds when the tsunami hit the beach and residential areas in Pandeglang on Java island, dragging with it victims, debris and large chunks of wood and metal.

On December 26, 2004, an Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by an earthquake killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.

The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 killed more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis. Anak Krakatoa is the island that emerged from the area once occupied by Krakatoa, which was destroyed in 1883. It first appeared in 1927 and has been growing ever since.

Saturday’s tsunami was the latest in a series of tragedies that have struck Indonesia, a vast archipelago, this year.

Successive earthquakes flattened parts of the tourist island of Lombok, and a double quake-and-tsunami killed thousands on Sulawesi island. Nearly 200 people died when a Lion Air passenger plane crashed into the Java Sea in October.

President Joko Widodo, who is running for re-election in April, tweeted that he had ordered all relevant government agencies to immediately take emergency response steps, find victims and care for the injured.

Neighbouring Malaysia and Australia both said they were ready to provide assistance if needed.

Another tsunami could strike Indonesia, experts have warned, after a powerful wave caused by a volcanic eruption killed hundreds when it swallowed coastal settlements, taking earthquake-focused disaster monitors by surprise.

While tsunamis are often triggered by earthquakes, in this case experts believe the deadly waves were generated by an eruption of the Anak (or "child of") Krakatoa volcano, which could have caused a large undersea landslide or flow of molten rock into the water.

The tsunami appears to have been caused by an underwater collapse of part of the volcano, said David Rothery, a professor of planetary geosciences at Britain's Open University.

Anak Krakatoa is an island that emerged around 1928 in the crater left by Krakatoa, whose massive 1883 eruption killed at least 36,000 people.

The tsunami that struck on Saturday was the third natural disaster to hit Indonesia in six months.

The country has 127 active volcanoes and lies on the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire" where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent.

Anak Krakatoa, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, is close to densely populated areas.

The volcano has been particularly active since June, noted Jacques-Marie Bardintzeff at the University of Paris-South.

We were helpless given how sudden the event took place, Bardintzeff said. The time between cause and effect was a few dozen minutes, which was too short to warn the population.

The killer wave struck at night, sweeping across tourist beaches and low-lying settlements on both sides of the Sunda Strait and catching both residents and disaster monitors totally unawares.

Signs that a tsunami was coming weren't detected and so people did not have time to evacuate, said Indonesia's disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, who blamed vandalism, technical problems and limited budgets for the lack of warning buoys.

But the Open University's Rothry said such buoys, normally positioned to monitor earthquakes at underwater tectonic plate boundaries, would still have had limited efficacy.

Even if there had been such a buoy right next to Anak Krakatoa, this is so close to the affected shorelines that warning time would have been minimal given the high speeds at which tsunami waves travel.

Simon Boxall of Southampton University said the region was in spring tide, and it would appear that the wave hit some of the coastal areas at the highest point of this high tide, exacerbating the damage done.

While the tsunami was relatively small, Richard Teeuw, a disaster risk reduction expert at the University of Portsmouth in England said: Such waves - laden with debris - can be deadly for coastal communities, especially if there is no warning.

Devastating tsunami caused by volcanic eruptions are rare; one of the most famous and deadly was caused by the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, Teeuw said.

The likelihood of further tsunamis in the Sunda Strait will remain high while Anak Krakatoa volcano is going through its current active phase because that might trigger further submarine landslides, he said.

Sonar surveys would now be needed to map the seafloor around the volcano, but unfortunately submarine surveys typically take many months to organise and carry out, he added.

Bardintzeff warned we must be wary now that the volcano has been destabilised.


Tourism Observer

LION Air Jet With 189 Passengers And Crew On Board Crashes Into Ocean

A LION Air jet has crashed into the ocean after taking off from Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta.

The plane with a seating capacity of 210lost radio contact just 13 minutes into the flight which was headed to Pangkal Pinang, an island east of Sumatra.

The aircraft disappeared near Karawang in West Java province, said Yusuf Latif, a spokesman for the National Search and Rescue Agency confirmed.

Lion Air flight JT610 requested to return to base, with air traffic control losing contact with the pilots after approving the request, Yohanes Sirait, a spokesman for the country’s air navigation authorities said.

A tugboat crew in Karawang has now reported seeing debris of a plane in the water, and a vessel belonging to Indonesia energy firm Pertamina official has reported seeing more debris, including plane seats, near its offshore facility in the Java Sea.

Indonesia transport ministry official says it was carrying 189 people — including two infants and its crew.

Pictures and video released by Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency appear to show personal items including a bag, phone and documentation among suspected debris from the crashed plane.

Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) chief, M Syaugi said the agency had already found other debris from the aircraft including mobile phones and buoys.

He said the aircraft lost contact at 34 nautical miles from the Basarnas office in Jakarta and the agency had immediately deployed boats and a helicopter to search.

Once we arrived at the co-ordinates we found aircraft debris, buoys, handphones as well as some other pieces. It was around two nautical miles from the co-ordinates given by air traffic control, Mr Syaugi said.

We are there now, our vessels and helicopter, to give assistance.

The water there is around 30 to 35 metres deep. We are now still trying to dive to find the aircraft. Hopefully the process would not take long.

Friends and relatives prayed and hugged each other as they waited at Pangkal Pinang’s airport.

At the National Search and Rescue Agency headquarters in Jakarta, family members turned up, hoping desperately for news.

We are here to find any information about my younger sister, her fiance, her in-law to be and a friend of them, Feni said.

We don’t have any information, she said, as her father wiped tears from reddened eyes.

No one provided us with any information that we need. We’re confused. We hope that our family is still alive, she said.

Indonesia’s Finance Minister Sri Mulyanialso arrived at the agency and met with its chief, seeking information about 20 finance ministry staff who were on the flight.

Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) spokesman, Yusuf Latif, said the aircraft has crashed near Tanjung Karawang in the waters off West Java.

It has crashed in the waters in West Java. Our team has been deployed, Mr Latif said.

The Lion Air plane lost contact with air traffic controllers at 6.33am. Flight JT-610 took off from the Jakarta airport at 6.20am local time and lost contact at 6.33am. The Boeing 737 was originally scheduled to arrive at Pangkal Pinang at 7.20am.

A shipping traffic officer in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, Suyadi, said that he has received a report from a tugboat, AS Jaya II, that the crew had seen a downed plane in Tanjung Bungin in Karawang, West Java.

At 7.15am the tugboat reported it had approached the site and the crew saw the debris of a plane, Suyadi said.

Two other ships, a tanker and a cargo ship, near the location were approaching the site, he said, and a Basarnas rescue boat was also on the way.

Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) chief, M Syaugi said the agency had found debris. He said the aircraft lost contact at 34 nautical miles (63km) from the Basarnas office in Jakarta and the agency had immediately deployed boats and a helicopter to search.

Once we arrived at the co-ordinates we found aircraft debris, buoys, handphones as well as some other pieces. It was around two nautical miles (4km) from the co-ordinates given by air traffic control, Mr Syaugi said.

The Flightradar website tracked the plane, showing it looping south on takeoff and then heading north before the flight path ended abruptly over the Java Sea, not far from the coast.

It says final telemetry from the aircraft indicates it was in a rapid descent.

The plane involved was a Boeing Co 737 Max-8 model. The aircraft is believed to be just two months old, and a significantly updated version over older 737 models.

Lion Air said the pilot and co-pilot of the plane had a combined total of 11,000 hours flying time.

Boeing said in a statement it was deeply saddened by the loss of Flight JT 610.

We express our concern for those on board, and extend heartfelt sympathies to their families and loved ones, the statement read.

Boeing stands ready to provide technical assistance to the accident investigation.

Weather is unlikely to have contributed to the accident. There were thunderstorms in the general area, there were none close to where the plane apparently vanished from radar.

The Australian Embassy in Jakarta is making urgent inquiries with local authorities to determine if any Australians were affected, a Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman told News Corp.

Indonesian authorities say the 737 was carrying 178 adults, 1 child, two infants, six flight attendants and the captain and co-pilot. Indonesia’s finance ministry says 20 of its officials were among the passengers.

Just six months ago, a Lion Air plane skidded off the runway at Djalaluddin Airport in Gorontalo, Indonesia. None of the 174 passengers and seven crew members suffered injuries, with the incident destroying the plane’s landing gear.

In 2013 a Lion Air jet with a rookie pilot at the controls undershot the runway and crashed into the sea in Bali, splitting the plane in two. Several people were injuredin the crash, although no one was killed.

The last major accident in Indonesia was in December 2014 when AirAsia Indonesia’s Airbus A320 aircraft crashed into the waters after taking off from Surabaya to Singapore with 162 people on board.

Indonesia relies heavily on air transport to connect its thousands of islands but has a poor aviation safety record and has suffered several fatal crashes in recent years.

A 12-year-old boy was the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed eight people in mountainous eastern Indonesia in August.

In August 2015, a commercial passenger aircraft operated by Indonesian carrier Trigana crashed in Papua due to bad weather, killing all 54 people on board.

The European Union banned Lion Air from entering the airspace of any member state in 2006 after being deemed unsafe due to a poor safety record.

The EU lifted the ban in 2016, and in September this year, the International Civil Aviation Organisation gave the airline a top safety ranking.

Global airline rating agency AirlineRatings.com also moved the Indonesia-based carrier to its top safety tier.


Tourism Observer

THAILAND: 171 Room Waldorf Astoria Bangkok Opens In Bangkok

Bangkok has become the maiden site for the first Waldorf Astoria brand hotel to open in SE Asia, with the luxury brand opening its doors for the first time in the Thai capital this week.

Housed in the 60-storey Magnolias Ratchadamri Boulevard, the new Waldorf Astoria Bangkok consists of 171 rooms and suites, each featuring marble bathtubs.

Property facilities include a lounge, two bars and three restaurants, among which is Front Room, led by Chef Fae Rungthiwa Chummongkhon, who has worked in some of Europe’s most acclaimed Michelin starred restaurants.

Additional dining options include Bull & Bear, which specialises in grilled meats and seafood, and Peacock Alley in which guests will find light and sweet afternoon teas and pastries.

The Waldorf Astoria Bangkok also features a 730 square metre Magnolia Bathroom complete with sweeping staircase as a grand backdrop for photos.

The hotel sits at the major Ratchaprasong intersection in the city centre and is close to tourist and city highlights such as Erawan Shrine and the Gaysorn Village mall.

Guests can get around the city via the Bangkok SkyTrain, both lines of which intersect nearby.

Hilton Asia Pacific President Alan Watts said the demand for luxury in Asia Pacific was generating exciting new demand for high-end hotels to enter or expand in the market.

As the first Waldorf Astoria in South East Asia, the opening of Waldorf Astoria Bangkok adds a much anticipated chapter to the brand’s story in Asia.

It builds on our series of iconic Waldorf Astoria hotels in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, while prefacing the arrival of additional unforgettable Waldorf Astoria hotels in the near future.”

The Hilton luxury brand is already active in Greater Asia with three hotels in China, and is in the midst of strategic expansion in other parts of SE Asia.

New Waldorf Astoria properties are in development and due to open soon in Bali and Jakarta in Indonesia, with another earmarked for China.


Tourism Observer

RUSSIA: Rossiya Airlines To Commence Flights To Denpasar, Bali, Transfers Some Flights From Vnukovo To Sheremetyevo

Rossiya Airlines will fly on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays to Denpasar, Bali.

The FV6295 flight will be departing from Sheremetyevo at 15:05 and arrive at Bali airport Ngurah Rai on the next day at 08:20 a.m.

The return flight FV6296 will be departing from Denpasar at 10:05 a.m., arriving at 17:05 on Mondays and Thursdays.

The new route will be operated with the modern comfortable aircraft Boeing 777-400 Extended Range, 21 business class seats and 436 economy class seats.

Due to the constant development of the route network, passengers of Rossiya Airlines have the opportunity to choose a place for their holidays among a significant number of countries and cities.

The island of Bali attracts tourists with its pristine landscapes, tropical forests, impressive volcanoes, ancient temples and, of course, endless beaches.

Meanwhile, Rossiya Airlines has officially announced the transfer of some of its flights from its current Moscow base at Vnukovo to Sheremetyevo Airport, home of its parent Aeroflot.

Flights from Sheremetyevo (IATA code SVO) to nine destinations in Rossiya’s network will be operated starting from the IATA winter season (October 28) this year.

All of these flights but one, to Denpasar in Bali, are domestic services. The airline will base 15 of its aircraft at Sheremetyevo – 10 Boeing 777-300s including two which are scheduled to join the fleet before the end of the year and five Boeing 737-800s.

The transfer of some flights to Sheremetyevo is in line with Aeroflot Group’s strategy of which Rossiya is the second largest subsidiary to create a large transit hub.

This partnership with Sheremetyevo will allow for a more efficient operation of the group’s wide route network whilst also offering convenient connections to passengers on domestic routes, Rossiya Airlines explained.

At SVO, Rossiya’s flights will be handled at Terminal D, whereas Aeroflot is gradually shifting its domestic flights from D to the recently launched Terminal B.

One of the likely main reasons for Rossiya’s transfer from Vnukovo is the prospect of synchronising the two airlines’ route networks thereby converting Rossiya into a feeder carrier for Aeroflot.

To accommodate the expected traffic growth and facilitate further development of Aeroflot and its subsidiary, SVO has initiated the construction of a third runway.

Sheremetyevo’s upgraded infrastructure and capacities, including construction of the third runway will provide conditions for efficient service and the long-term expansion of Aeroflot Group, Rossiya added.

In June and July, Rossiya was Vnukovo’s largest passenger traffic generator.

In July Rossiya was responsible for 30.8 per cent of the airport’s total traffic. It carried 745,600 passengers to and from Vnukovo, up 10.4 per cent on the same month last year.


Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: Aeroflot Starts Moscow To Denpasar Direct Flights

Aeroflot and Rossiya Airlines are to launch direct flights to Denpasar, the capital of Bali, under a codeshare agreement.

Starting from 28 October 2018, the flights on Boeing 777 aircraft will operate three times weekly on the following schedule:

Moscow-Denpasar all times local:

– flight SU 6295 will depart Sheremetyevo on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 15:05 and arrive in Denpasar at 8:20.

– return flight SU 6296 will depart Denpasar on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10:05 and arrive at Sheremetyevo at 17:50.

Flights will operate under the winter timetable effective from 28 October 2018 through 30 March 2019.

Ticket sales for the flights have opened.

Denpasar is the largest city on the island of Bali. It is famous for its ancient temples, palaces and museums, and is also the main transit hub for tourists visiting Bali.



Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: Indonesian Tourism To Grow With Asian Games

The glamorous opening ceremony of the Asian games 2018 in Jakarta could serve as a big promotional campaign for the country`s tourism.
The 18th Asian Games from Aug 18 to Sept 2 are held in Jakarta and Palembang, South Sumatra.

The ceremony provide a good momentum to show the cultural wealth of the country, a tourism observer from the Soedirman University Chusmeru, said here on Sunday.

It was a blend of sports, entertainment, and recreation, display of cultural wealth, symbol of Unity in Diversity serving as a promotional stage for Indonesian tourism, Chusmeru said.

Sports events organized properly with good concept could be an effective forum for tourism promotion, he said.

This is a sport tourism that would attract tourists both domestic and foreign tourists . Asian Games 2018 is highly potential to contribute to the country`s tourism industry with contingents from 45 Asian countries, he said.

He said Asia Games could be made as a reference and source of inspirations for regional areas of Indonesia in organizing similar events in smaller scale to attract tourists .

Regional areas need only to find favorite sport events that could attract international participation, he said.

Regional areas could prepare tour packages to suit the athletes taking part in the events, he added.

Regional administrations should begin to consider and study the potential of sports beside natural beauty, cultural variety to speed up development of tourism industry in their respective areas , he said.

The Tourism Ministry itself already prepared tour packages with tourist objects in seven destinations including Jakarta, South Sumatra, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, Banyuwangi, and Bali, he said.

The country is seeking to boost development of its tourist sector which is expected to a major foreign exchange earner for the country.

The government has set target to double the number of visits by foreign tourists to 20 million in five year until 2019.


Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: Garuda Indonesia Is A Leading Airline , Denpensar The Leading Airport In Asia

Denpasar is the main international airport on the Indonesian island of Bali.

It was the second largest Indonesian airport based on total departing capacity in 2017.

Denpasar was the fourth busiest Indonesian airport for departing domestic seats last year and the second largest for international capacity.

The available two-way seats on flights serving Denpasar grew from 10.63 million in 2008 to 29.18 million in 2017, representing a substantial 174% increase.

Between 2009 and 2017 the airport experienced double-digit, year-on-year growth on six occasions.

The single largest annual increase came in 2010, with available seat numbers boosted by nearly 20% over 2009 levels. Since 2008, Denpasar has only witnessed one annual capacity contraction.

This took place in 2015, and the cuts were marginal at less than one percent. From 2010 to 2017 available capacity to and from the Balinese airport more than doubled, increasing by 108%.

Denpasar has seen a relatively even split between capacity offered on domestic and international services over the past 10 years.

In 2008 there were 5.43 million two-way seats available on domestic services. By 2017 this had grown to 14.65 million, which is equivalent to a 170% increase.

Over the same period, international capacity increased by 174% from 5.20 million seats to 14.53 million. Domestic seats accounted for 51% of the airport’s two-way capacity in 2008 and around 50% in 2017.

Indonesian-based carriers accounted for nine of the top 12 airlines at Denpasar in 2017, based on annual departing seats.

This included the four largest airlines, and eight of the top 10. National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia was the biggest single capacity provider, with more than three million departing seats, 21% of the airport’s total.

Garuda will offer 323 flights from Denpasar across 29 destinations during the week commencing 15 May, with between 45 and 47 daily departures.

Jetstar Airways was the largest international carrier in 2017.

During the week commencing 15 May it will serve eight destinations from Denpasar with the highest frequency link being Perth, which it operates three times daily.

Most of the top 12 airlines expanded their capacity from Denpasar last year. The strongest growth came from Batik Air 620% increase and NAM Air 207%.

Batik Air was a new entrant to the top 12 in 2017 increasing the number of one-way seats on offer from Denpasar from 65,000 in 2016, to 468,000 last year.

The Indonesian airline more than trebled its domestic capacity in 2017 and introduced international services to Perth and Kuala Lumpur.

Two of the top-ranked airlines cut capacity from the Bali facility last year. The largest reduction came from Indonesia AirAsia, with the LCC removing 5.4% of its seats compared to 2016.

Half of the top 12 routes from Denpasar in 2017 were domestic services. This included its biggest single link to Jakarta.

There were 3.21 million one-way seats available on the capital city connection, representing 22% of the airport’s total capacity.

Six airlines will offer 232 combined flights from Denpasar to Jakarta during the week commencing 15 May.

Three of the top-ranked routes last year were international services, with Singapore the largest of these. The biggest international country market was Australia, with nine links and 1.74 million seats available.

The largest country market outside of Asia Pacific was Qatar, which finished in seventh place.

Denpasar’s top two routes remained unchanged in 2017, with the majority of the top-ranked routes witnessing a year-on-year capacity boost comapred to 2016.

The largest increases came on services to Kuala Lumpur 60% increase over 2016 , Jakarta 24% and Doha (23%).

The Kuala Lumpur link experienced growth from existing operators, plus the introduction of services by Batik Air and AirAsia X.

The Malaysian destination subsequently overtook Surabaya to become the third largest route from Denpasar.

Three connections witnessed a year-on-year decline in seat numbers. The largest cuts came on domestic services to Surabaya 16% reduction. Melbourne dropped out of the top 12 and was replaced by Doha.

One new route has already launched to Denpasar in 2018 and that at least three more are scheduled to begin.

These include Qantas and Malindo Air introducing services to Melbourne, and Emirates adding a link to Auckland. All three services are due to commence in June.


Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: Ngurah Rai International Airport Now Has Duty-free Arrivals Store

Bali’s Ngurah Rai International airport has unveiled a new duty-free store in its international arrivals terminal, the first of its kind in Indonesia.

The 298sqm Duty Free Arrival (DFA) store had its grand opening on 13 April following an earlier soft opening by Indonesian airports authority, Angkasa Pura, in partnership with Dufrindo International, part of travel-retail giant Dufry.

In contrast to other duty-free stores located in the departures terminal of Ngurah Rai, the DFA requires direct supervision by Customs & Excise.

This is with its implementation specifically regulated by the Ministry of Finance through the regulation of the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia, Angkasa Pura said.

Robi Toni, director of the Customs Excise Service of the Ministry of Finance, addressed the grand opening event of the DFA, and said that the introduction of duty-free on arrival at Ngurah Rai was important.

This is so in order to compete with other countries offering the same service.

He added that within a week of soft launching, 85% of the customers who shopped at the new DFA shop were foreign tourists, with the remainder Indonesian citizens who had just returned from abroad.

Also in attendance at the grand opening ceremony of the DFA were Angkasa Pura’s director of international relations and business development Sardjono Jhony Tjitrokusumo and Thomas Galet, general manager of South Asia Dufry Group.

Ngurah Rai International airport is the main airport in Bali, located close to the tourist locations in the south of the island, 13km from the capital, Denpasar.

Ngurah Rai International Airport serves more than 20 million passengers a year.



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

INDONESIA: Mt Agung Spits Ash And Lava, Airport Shut

The threat of a major volcanic eruption at Mount Agung is already having a negative effect on Bali's most important industry - tourism.

Fear of an eruption has forced authorities to order evacuation of 40,000 people from the volcano's foothills.

It has also forced the temporary closure of Bali's main airport.

Tourism numbers have gone down since the volcano began rumbling in September.

We are very well prepared but we do need to worry about the long-term impact on the lives of the evacuees and the impact on tourism to Bali. That's the more serious issue said Bali's Governor, Made Pastika.

The Bali Tourism Board has set up a crisis centre to respond to the eruption.

It is co-ordinating free accommodation for 2,315 stranded travellers, and it has set up consular and immigration desks at the airport to help tourists to make arrangements to stay longer.

In the island's south, where the bulk of foreign tourists head, the volcano's impact is not immediately apparent.

The sun is shining very brightly in Bali's south today, said Gilda Lim Sagrado, a spokeswoman for the Bali Tourism Board.

However, the Tourism Board has indicated that visitor numbers are down since Mount Agung's volcanic tremors began to increase in September.

A 2015 forecast by the World Travel and Tourism Council estimated that tourism would make up 3.2% of Indonesia's economy by 2025.

In Bali, which drew more than 4.5 million tourists in the first nine months of 2017, tourism makes up a much larger slice of the economy.

Before the volcano started rumbling, the island appeared to be on course to have at least 5 million arrivals in 2017, beating last year's total.

An eruption would almost certainly have an impact on the airline industry too.

Bali's airport has been closed for more than 24 hours, disrupting 445 flights and roughly 59,000 passengers.

The situation is being reviewed every six hours by the aviation authorities.

When flights resume, there is likely to be a backlog of passengers, which airlines might take a week or more to clear.

Mr Taylor said the airlines are insured for events like this, but it is not likely to cover all their costs.

Eruptions that cause lasting effects can impose huge costs on airlines.

The International Air Transport Association estimated that global airlines lost about $1.7bn of revenue as a result of the disruptions caused by the eruption of Mt Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland in 2010.

Airlines avoid flying when volcanic ash is in the air because it can damage planes' engines.

In June 1982, ash caused all four engines of a British Airways 747 to shut down after the plane flew through ash from Mount Galunggung in Indonesia.

It was able to restart three of the engines and land at Jakarta.

Indonesian officials have shut the international airport in Bali for a second day, as Mount Agung spews volcanic ash into the atmosphere.

Massive blooms of dark ash were seen reaching as high as 3km (2 miles) above the summit of the rumbling volcano, which began erupting last week.

Officials raised the alert to the highest level on Monday, fearing an imminent major eruption.

Up to 100,000 people have been ordered to evacuate the vicinity.

Volcanic ash can damage aeroplane engines or even cause them to fail, and also clogs fuel and cooling systems. Pilot visibility can also be hampered.

The Transportation Ministry initially closed the Ngurah Rai (Denpasar) airport on Monday morning for 24 hours, cancelling more than 400 flights and stranding 59,000 travellers.

On Tuesday, they announced they would extend the closure to Wednesday 07:00 local time (00:00 GMT).

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for Indonesia's national disaster agency, said that the ash was being drawn southwest - towards Bali's main airport - by a tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean.

The airport on neighbouring Lombok island however has been re-opened, he added. Authorities have also arranged for buses to take tourists to ferry terminals.

The volcano is about 70km from the popular tourist areas of Kuta and Seminyak.

The disaster agency said in a separate statement said that as of Tuesday morning, the volcano was still emitting thick ash clouds and that rays of flares from the glowing lava were also observed overnight.

Besides ash, streams of rock mixed with water known as lahar have also been spotted flowing down from the mountain. Officials have warned people to stay away from them.

Officials have told everyone living in a 10km exclusion zone around the volcano to evacuate.

Mr Sutopo said that officials faced difficulties estimating the exact number of evacuees given varying population data, but they believe between 90,000 and 100,000 people needed to leave.

So far, only 29,000 people had moved to shelters, while others have fled to other places like Lombok, he said.

There are many people who have remained, as some still feel safe while others are unwilling to leave their cattle and fields.

Authorities have warned that they may forcibly evacuate people if they do not move to shelters soon.

A large banner says You're entering active volcanic hazard zone. But looking around, you wouldn't know.

The volcano has been rumbling for weeks now.

Authorities say they will force people to evacuate. But those on the mountain still resist evacuation for there own safety.



Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: Mount Agung Eruption, Indonesia To Divert Flights To Ten Airports

Authorities in Indonesia are on standby to divert flights destined for the holiday island of Bali as increasingly frequent tremors from a rumbling volcano stoke fears an eruption could be imminent.

Yet the Balinese government has sent a letter to address the “people around the world”, pleading with tourists that Bali is still safe.
However the official advice on the Australian Government’s Smart Traveller website says to exercise a high degree of caution.

It comes as Bali Nine member Scott Rush and 166 inmates at Indonesia’s Karangasem prison were evacuated amid fears Mount Agung could boil over.

Mount Agung, about 75 kilometres from the tourist hub of Kuta, has been shaking since August.

But in recent days it’s threatening to erupt for the first time in more than 50 years, forcing more than 80,000 people to flee their homes.

Hands up who else on the Island feels anxious? One island expat wrote on her blog.

Tourists have also said they have been forced out of accommodation close to the base of the volcano.

I had been at a wedding in a remote village of Munti Gunung in the north of Bali, one tourist said.

Around 11.30pm asleep back in the diving town of Tulamben I was woken by my Indonesian brother in law and told to pack our things and evacuate the area immediately.

It was quite a worrying moment because it was at that time we realised everyone in our hotel had already left.

Family staying in another hotel were kicked out and made to find their own way to safety.

Karangasem prison lies 23km to the southeast of the volcano, which is outside of the exclusion zone, but no chances were being taken.

Evacuated alongside Rush was Sydney man Michael Sacatides, who is serving time on drug charges and Indonesian woman Noor Ellis, convicted of the murder of her Australian husband Bob Ellis.

Karangasem prison governor, Kusbyantoro, said all the prisoners had been evacuated.

Bali attracts millions of foreign visitors every year to its palm-fringed beaches and an eruption would be a major blow to its tourism-dependent economy.

Yet in a statement from Pemerintah Provinsi Bali, Indonesia’s National Disaster Agency urged tourists to continue visiting Bali.

Bali tourism is safe. Do not spread the misleading news that Bali is not safe because Mount Agung is on the highest alert status.

Please, come and visit Bali,A.A. Gede Yuniartha Putra said from Denpasar.

A Tourist who was staying in a resort away from the volcano said how he watched Mt Agung become more active.

We even experienced six tremors while diving. Two felt huge, he said.

Within three hours our hotel shipped us to our next destination early. They sensibly moved all guests to avoid the impending chaos and shut down the hotel as best they could.

They saved us trauma and anxiety. We feel so much for the workers who have lost their incomes.

Swift assurances were made in a follow-up statement, claiming 50,000-60,000 visitors were still flying in and out of the country on Wednesday.

The statement said the raised hazard level of Mount Agung could discourage tourists but because most tourist destinations were far from the exclusion zone, visitors should not be worried.

Visit Indonesia Tourism assured visitors Bali was open for business and business as usual.

The airport in Bali’s capital Denpasar has not been affected but several countries including Australia and Singapore have issued travel advisories warning travellers to exercise caution.

In anticipation of an eruption, Indonesia plans to divert flights headed for Bali to ten other airports, including on nearby Lombok and to the capital Jakarta.

The planes will be diverted to their nearest location or where it originally took off from, transport minister Budi Karya Sumadi said.

Airlines are watching the situation closely and 100 buses have been prepared to evacuate tourists.

Virgin Australia said it would be making an extra fuel stop in Darwin for some of its flights between Australia and Bali in case it is forced to turn back.

Singapore Airlines said customers travelling between September 23 and October 2 could rebook flights or ask for a refund.

Officials announced the highest possible alert level on Friday due to the increasing volcanic activity, and told people to stay at least nine kilometres away from the crater.

The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation recorded almost 300 tremors Wednesday morning.

A thin column of smoke can be seen rising from the mountain’s summit.

Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing nearly 1,600 people.

Meanwhile, a rumbling, belching volcano that’s threatening to blow had forced more than 7,000 people to flee their homes by Wednesday on an island in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu.

Authorities have declared an emergency on Ambae island, where activity at the Manaro volcano has increased recently, raising fears of a major eruption.

About 10,000 people live on the island, and villagers close to the volcano have been moved to schools and community halls on the island’s less vulnerable eastern and western regions.



Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: 1.7 million Chinese Visitors Enter Indonesia

Head of Chinese Tourism National Administration (CNTA) Li Jinzao said that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia has risen by a good measure of 20%. In the meantime, he added that the number of Indonesian tourists to China was recorded to rise by 16%.

This reflects good tourism cooperation between the two countries. He said he hopes that the cooperation between Indonesia and China only improves with time.

Earlier, Indonesian Tourism Minister, Arief Yahya, said China is currently the biggest source of tourist arrivals in Indonesia; leaving behind Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, and Korea.

“We have set ourselves the target of attracting 20 million tourists in 2019 and nearly 50% of them will come from China,” he disclosed.

It is important to step up tourism cooperation with China to achieve the desired target.

In this regard, he accentuated how important it is to step up tourism cooperation with China to achieve the desired target. Moreover, he promised that his ministry will also be focusing on promoting the “Great China” branding.

This covers a trio of Asian countries China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Yahya also invited Chinese investors to try their luck with the Indonesian tourism industry.

We invite Chinese investors engaged in the tourism sector to invest in Indonesia which offers natural and cultural attractions. Now is the time to make long-term investments in the tourism sector, he said.

While down 1.9% from the previous month, the figure marks an increase of almost 20% than in the same month of 2015.

It was the second month in a row and the fourth time so far this year that the Chinese-governed in the tourism sector, followed closely by Singaporean and Australian travelers. Most of the Chinese tourists opted for beautiful and very beachy Bali as their destination.

The Tourism Ministry’s deputy minister for overseas promotion, I Gde Pitana, attributed to the rising trend of the holiday season in August in China and the government’s efforts to attract more visitors’ discussion.

He said the ministry would remain focused on its tourism promotion program in China until the end of the year to introduce the archipelago in several major cities, such as Beijing and Shenzhen.

The government aims to attract at least 1.7 million Chinese tourists this year; 1.3 million more than the last year. It has scrapped the visa fees for Chinese travelers, making China one of 169 countries the nationals of which enjoy free entry to Indonesia.

This is not all. For this month, the ministry has geared up for the Chinese Golden Week; a seven-day national holiday period that starts on Oct. 1.

It has established healthy connections with travel agents and tour operators in Bali and China since July to offer tourism packages to places like Bali and Manado, North Sulawesi.

“That way, Chinese companies won’t send their employees to Thailand for the holidays. They can just go to those destinations instead,” Pitana said.

He also mentioned that several airlines were also on board to achieve the 1.7 million tourist target to help this tourism plan further.

The country’s largest low-cost carrier, Lion Air, is serving direct flights from six Chinese cities. The airline hopes to fly at least 30,000 Chinese tourists to Manado by the end of the year. Whereas, Garuda Indonesia has flown holidaymakers from three major Chinese cities to Jakarta. These Chinese cities are namely Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

BPS head Suhariyanto said that the visitors contained in the statistics were all tourists and not workers and that it was not just in one country but others as well; meaning the Chinese were traveling all over the world as tourists.

“The surge is not happening in Indonesia alone, but also in other countries, supported by the tourists’ higher earning per capita as China’s economy grows,” he said.

Hotels have started facilitating the tourists in just the right way

Moreover, the hotels have started facilitating the tourists in just the right way. Jayakarta Hotels and Resorts president director Edwin Dhanu said the chain had prepared several services to accommodate the increasing number of tourists.

“We have prepared a separate, special breakfast called Chinese breakfast in which we provide bread, porridge, and dim sum,” he said that it was different from the full buffet breakfast offered exclusively to Australian tourists.

Jayakarta also employed Mandarin-speaking staff in the guest reservation divisions in Jakarta and Bali who tend to most of the Chinese guests.

The both countries are doing everything to keep growing and keep their tourism industry booming with each other’s help.

INDONESIA: Louvre Hotels Group Received Award For Leading Global Hotel Chain In Indonesia

Louvre Hotels Group has received the award for Leading Global Hotel Chain in Indonesia for 2016 – 2017 given by ITTA , The Indonesia Travel and Tourism Awards.

The award was presented on Wednesday December 14 , 2016 during the ITTA Gala Award Dinner held in Jakarta to Mr Mark van Ogtrop , MD of Louvre Hotels Indonesia.

Louvre Hotels Group operates over 30 hotels in Indonesia under the Brands : “Royal Tulip” , “Golden Tulip”, “Golden Tulip Essential”, “Kyriad” and soon to be launched “Campanile”. In 2016 the group successfully opened 3 new Royal Tulip Hotels in Bogor , Bedugul and Ubud last two both in Bali. In addition new Golden Tulip and Golden Tulip Essential hotels were opened in Lombok, Tangerang, Kuta and Jimbaran in Bali. Under the Brand Kyriad a total of 7 hotels were added in 2016

The group is further expanding its portfolio in 2017 with over 12 hotels to be opened throughout the year in Indonesia.

Mark van Ogtrop, MD of Louvre Hotels Group adds : “We are very excited to have received this award. It truly reflects the efforts of our team here in Indonesia and how the group has grown and successfully opened a group of quality hotels that we currently operate.

The recently added hotels in our portfolio are hotels that we are truly proud of and that add to the success of our reputation.”

SINGAPORE: Singapore Casinos Biggest Attraction For Chinese Tourists

Singapore is no longer just a stop-over point for tourists catching connecting flights to beaches in Thailand and Bali. More travelers are making the city state their final destination following the lifting of a decades-old ban on casinos that has helped double the number of Chinese visitors.

Tourism is proving to be one of the bright spots in Singapore’s otherwise sluggish economy.

Official figures show income from tourism surged 25% in the four years since the first two casino resorts were opened in 2010 — flashy and modern complexes housing hotels, shopping malls and restaurants. Credit Suisse said last month that tourist arrivals this year will probably exceed forecasts from the Singapore Tourism Board, climbing as much as 8% over 2015 to 16.5 million.

That is a big deal in a country where tourism accounts for about 10% of gross domestic product, according to estimates from the World Travel & Tourism Council, an industry body.

The tiny island nation lacks the landscapes, beaches and ancient temples that draw thousands of visitors to nearby Thailand and Vietnam. Yet it draws more travelers than countries such as India, Indonesia and Philippines.

The city state has managed to hold onto its 4.5% share of all tourist arrivals in the Asia Pacific region between 2010 and 2014, even as Malaysia and Australia lost ground to nations like Thailand and South Korea, according to data from the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization.

Casinos and China's boom in outbound tourism explain some of that growth, but there’s more to the story. Singapore is also a world-leader in the business traveler market, focused on conferences and exhibitions. These visitors generally spend on average twice as much as leisure tourists, according to the Singapore Tourism Board.

Gaming and entertainment revenue is the largest single source of Singapore's tourism income, accounting for 24% of all receipts in the first nine months of 2015, the last period for which there is full data.

2015 was a tough year for the casinos, dragging down total tourism receipts by 6.8% to 22 billion Singapore dollars (US$16 billion), according to the tourism agency. Tourist arrivals grew just 0.9% to 15.2 million last year.

That could improve this year as stronger currencies in Malaysia and Indonesia help reverse visitor declines from those countries and Singapore makes a big push to lure Chinese tourists, according to Credit Suisse.

Travelers from China to Singapore surged 34% in the first two months of the year compared with the same period in 2015.

"2016 could be a record year of arrivals,'" Credit Suisse analysts led by Gerald Wong, said in the report. "We expect Singapore to continue to benefit from continued growth in Chinese outbound travel."

INDONESIA: Steps Taken To Stop Child Sex Tourism

An activist group against child sex predation has highlighted the urgency of tackling a growing scourge in Indonesia that has long been overlooked by the authorities.

“Child sex tourism is a new and flourishing form of sexual exploitation toward kids in Indonesia,” Mr Ahmad Sofian, the national coordinator of the group End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (Ecpat) Indonesia, said at a press conference in Jakarta yesterday (Dec 23).

He said the commercially facilitated sexual abuse of minors involved some two million children across the globe, half of them in Southeast Asia.

“In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is the main destination for travelling child sex predators after Vietnam and Cambodia,” Mr Sofian said, attributing this to a demographic that skews young — children and young adults account for half of the country’s total population of some 250 million.

Mr Sofian said lax law enforcement against child molesters in Indonesia was a key factor in the growth of child sex tourism, which is part of the multi-billion-dollar global sex tourism industry. He noted that the child protection law in Indonesia, a general act to protect the rights of minors, fails to make it a crime to buy sex from children.

Law enforcement, meanwhile, tends to focus only on cases of sexual assault and the like when tackling child sex abuse, Mr Sofian said. “Law enforcers seem to be ignoring child sex tourism because it involves tourists who bring in revenue for the local economy,” he added.

Research by Ecpat Indonesia, drawing from reports by Interpol, the Australian Federal Police, Unicef and the International Organisation for Migration between 2012 and 2014, identifies Bali, Jakarta, West Java, East Java, Batam, North Sumatra and Lombok as the top six provinces for number of child sex tourism cases.

“These are popular destinations for business or leisure travellers,” Mr Sofian pointed out, adding that the perpetrators included both domestic and foreign tourists, usually affluent.

The same research also highlights the role that taxi drivers play in the chain of child sex tourism, a problem closely linked with poverty, rapid industrialisation and exploding population growth.

“The most convenient means of transportation for these child sex offenders is the taxi,” Ms Mubha Kahar Muang, the president director of Jakarta taxi operator Putra, said at Wednesday’s press conference.

“Taxi drivers know the very heart of the city and they’ve unfortunately become a sort of informant for child sex predators who are on the hunt,” she added.

That’s why, she said, Putra has joined forces with Ecpat on a campaign aimed at eradicating child sex tourism in Indonesia.

In June and July, Ecpat trained some 250 Putra taxi drivers on how to discourage passengers who attempted to get information about places offering child sex prostitution.

“We taught them on how to politely reject such passengers so that they don’t get offended,” Ms Muang said.

The training is also expected to encourage the drivers to lead efforts in fight against child sex tourism in their own hometowns.

“We want to help break the chain of child sex tourism in the country,” Ms Muang said.

Mr Sofian said the measure was the first of its kind in Indonesia; the governments of Cambodia and Thailand have previously campaigned with local taxi firms to tackle the scourge in their countries.

Ecpat plans to carry out an identical campaign with taxi operators in the five other provinces.

The group’s ultimate goal, Mr Sofian said, was to get the government to pass a law specifically outlawing child prostitution and child pornography, rather than the broad but vague child protection act that prevails today.

“It’s going to take some time for such a law to come about, but in the meantime we want to raise awareness about child sex tourism,” he said.

SOUTH KOREA: Asiana Suspends Flights To Vladivostok, Bali and Yangon Due To Lack Of Demand.

Asiana is set to temporarily suspend flights to Vladivostok, Bali and Yangon due to lack of demand. Flights to Vladivostok are due to be halted on 1st Feb 2016, and flights to Bali and Yangon will be halted on 1st March 2016.

That’s not to say this will be a permanent change, and you may still be able to pick up some last minute tickets for the 5 star airline before the routes are suspended.

Asiana Airlines is South Korea's No. 2 full-service carrier, and currently operates two weekly flights to Southeast Asian destinations & four weekly flights to the Russian port city.

For passengers that have already booked tickets on these Asiana routes, Asiana has taken steps to ensure the flights would be fulfilled on use other airlines. The company also added that it will give full refunds to people opting to cancel flights.

Korean Air Lines Co. operates flights to all three cities.

"Every effort will be made to reduce passenger inconvenience," Asiana said.

Asiana is also awaiting regulatory approval of its plan to set up another low cost carrier.

The new company, to be called Air Seoul, would be a wholly owned subsidiary that would operate flights to China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Should permission be granted, it would be the company's second no-frills airline after Air Busan.

INDONESIA: Meliá Hotels International Speeds Up Growth In Indonesia

Meliá Hotels International continues to see Indonesia as one of its most important targets for growth in Asia–Pacific and has now announced the addition of its thirteenth hotel, a spectacular hotel under the Innside by Meliá brand in the city of Bandung. The hotel will form part of The MAJ Collections Hotel & Residences developed by The MAJ, a property arm of Ancora Group. Construction is expected to be completed by 2017.

Rising 21 stories above Dago peak, The MAJ Collections Hotel & Residences will become the grand landmark in North Bandung. Strategically located on Jl. Ir. H. Juanda near Bandung’s lifestyle hotspots, the development offers a convenient spot for young families looking to set root in Bandung and leisure travelers seeking the finest hospitality a short distance from the best attractions in Bandung.

The hotel combines leisure and business facilities, and will occupy one of two spectacular twin towers connected by a roof terrace in the thriving area of Dago in the north of Bandung. It will provide 233 guestrooms, children’s play areas, gym, swimming pool, restaurant and gardens. The second tower will house residential apartments, all alongside an annex building with a car park, ballroom, meeting rooms, heliport, and a stunning infinity pool on the roof terrace.

The Meliá Hotels International Chairman and Vice Chairman, together with the VP Asia-Pacific, Bernardo Cabot, took part in the official signature ceremony during which they all emphasised the company’s total commitment to the region. “The dynamism in this city and also in the Dago region, combined with the superior quality and stunning design of the hotel and the choice of the urban lifestyle Innside by Meliá brand, are undoubtedly a winning combination that will generate greater recognition and prestige both for Meliá and for the hotel owners” declared the Chairman Gabriel Escarrer on signing.

Indonesia is home to the majority of the company hotels in the region, with four hotels already open and nine hotels scheduled to open in 2016 and 2017. The company led by Gabriel Escarrer started its international expansion in Indonesia with the opening of the Melia Bali Hotel in Bali in 1986. After thirty years in the region and with considerable know-how in the market, Meliá is now one of the one of the best-positioned hotel operators to help lead the growth of Indonesia as a major power in world tourism.

The addition of the new Innside Bandung further reinforces the company’s presence and recognition in major cities in Indonesia, where Meliá is already present in cities such as Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Surabaya, in addition to its resort hotel portfolio in Bali and Bintan.

Asia will continue to be a strategic focus for growth in the coming years. The company now has almost thirty hotels open or in scheduled to open, all under of management agreements.

PHILIPPINES: Philippines’ Tourism Sector Bullish On 2015 Asean Integration

The Philippines’ tourism area is getting up to speed with its neighbors and is more hopeful on its prospects with the ASEAN incorporation moving into full swing by 2015, tourism authorities said on Friday.

“We are truly getting up to speed as far as institutionalization in the tourism business. We must be at standard with the abilities of our ASEAN neighbors,” said Cesar Cruz, president of the Philippine Tour Operators’ Association (Philtoa) which heads a three-day travel exchange article called the Philippine Travel Mart from Sept 5 to Sept. 7.

The Philippine Travel Mart, where explorers can discover travel and occasion bundles and aerial shuttle tickets on special, is commending its 25th celebration in the not so distant future.

The vision of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) joining which tries to make a solitary business and generation base through the free stream of products, administrations and subsidizes by 2015 is clear amid the travel deal held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Separated from the nation’s best and rising traveler ends of the line, a few goals in other ASEAN nations were likewise introduced to prospective explorers.

As a feature of the Philtoa’s backing for the ASEAN mix endeavors, it introduced explorers bundles it called “twinnings” where they can pick one of their most loved Philippine goals and pair this with an alternate end of the line in an alternate ASEAN nation.

“They can pick Boracay and Bali or Cebu and Singapore,” Cruz said in a meeting. This, he said, their gathering is doing in backing of the thought of the “borderless” travel.

Anyway Cruz sees a few issues once the ASEAN incorporation goes on full swing before the end of 2015.

“With our passage level abilities, the Filipinos will be falling behind our Asian neighbors since we have quite recently begun our K to 12 framework,” he said.

K to 12 project, which has added two years to the nation’s essential instruction cycle, was actualized in 2013 through a law marked by the President.

Be that as it may he said there are solutions for the tourism business. “We are starting short courses for tourism experts just to fill in the crevice,” he said.

Philtoa, an association of 352 visit administrators in the nation, additionally plans to set up a tourism institute in Makati that will offer short tourism courses.

Tourism Secretary Mon Jimenez who went to the occasion on Friday said the tourism business is getting to be more hopeful, particularly with the ASEAN mix completely acknowledged by one year from now.

“The demeanor of the Filipinos towards tourism has changed totally. There is an ability to learn and perform better than we did before and that incorporates our capability to make up for lost time,” Jimenez said.

The tourism division has started to consider the focal points of incorporating in the showcasing its neighbors in the district.

“The world doesn’t simply go in only one particular spot. The individuals go to a locale, particularly on the off chance that they have originated from a far spot. What is useful for Philippine tourism is useful for ASEAN tourism,” he said.

“We will cross over any barrier. In the event that we need to grin more extensive, we will,” Jimenez said.

Prior, Jimenez affirmed that his specialty would be propelling a battle “Visit Philippines Year 2015″ to benefit from the accomplishments of the prior “It’s more fun in the Philippines.”

The tourism division in the Philippines has turned into a genuine business, developing into a Us$4.8 billion (S$6 billion) industry starting a year ago.

Always Bargain Bargain Bargain

WITH summer upon us, foreign exchange specialist Travelex has created a useful guide to help tourists barter to their best in countries where such a practice is common, sometimes even expected. A look at some of the best advice for getting a good deal around the globe.

Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt

If you're visiting a North African country this summer, it's advised to haggle over things. Any price quoted in a souk (bazaar) should be generally divided by two, from which point some playful negotiating will lead you to your final price for beautiful leather goods, rugs and ceramics. Keep in mind, however, that the price of food is non-negotiable.

Bali

Don't hesitate to haggle over prices in Bali. It's actually practically a sport for the residents of this island in Indonesia. Beware that there is a "morning price" prior to noon, usually good for around 30% off. Make sure to leave the tourist areas, such as the town of Ubud, to find the best deals.

Spain

You can also hone your negotiating skills in Europe, southern Spain being a great training ground. You can find anything and everything at the markets, and the beginning and end of day are your best bets for scoring a discount. A neat little trick: go with a friend who pretends to dissuade you from buying and you may be offered an incentive to buy.

India

In India, you'll be negotiating a lot of the time. As a general rule, knock the price down by 70% and negotiate from there, aiming to not pay more than 30% less than the original price. Keep in mind that a merchant's first sale of the day is considered lucky so he will usually be extra generous if you arrive at the right time. In India, the early bird gets the best deal.

Thailand

It's a similar story in Thailand, where bargaining options abound. In Bangkok, rides in tuk-tuks are always negotiated, as they should be in traditional taxis. Markets may be a bit trickier, but the more skillful negotiator should still be able to walk away having paid 50% below asking price. The capital's Chatuchak market is a great place to test your mettle. A word of caution: touristy areas, such as the islands in the south, are often much less open to negotiation.

Turkey

Leather goods, rugs and basic souvenirs are all negotiable, though it is customary here to let the merchant make the first offer. Contain your enthusiasm, perhaps go inquire with surrounding merchants to show you're serious, then cut his price in half and you'll be bringing all sorts of goodies home in no time.

Mexico

Whether you want to or not, prepare to haggle while you're in Mexico. Merchants don't hesitate to accost tourists and offer various products, even going so far as trying to loosen them up with tequila to encourage a sale. In order to ensure you walk away with the best deal, assuming you're interested in what they're selling, it's always best to be prepared with a few key phrases in Spanish, as Mexicans are more likely to give discounts to those who make an effort to speak their language. Also, negotiate prices in pesos instead of dollars.