TAIWAN: Japanese Tourism Expected To Shoot Up After News Of China's Tourist Ban

On Aug. 1, the Chinese government announced that it would be suspending all individual permits for travel to Taiwan, forcing Chinese citizens hoping to visit the country to join officially approved tour groups instead.

The move is widely seen as an attempted political maneuver to damage Taiwan’s economy ahead of the January 2020 elections.

While Taiwan is likely to see a major dip in tourism from China in the coming months, there are reasons to be optimistic, as the sudden drop in Chinese visitors will make Taiwan’s popular tourist destinations less crowded.

Japanese website Zakzak is encouraging Japanese vacationers to consider visiting Taiwan in 2019 on account of decreased crowds and potential travel deals offered by hotels and tour operators to make up for losses.

Now is a “great chance” to visit Taiwan, which is regularly a top destination for Japanese tourists.

In 2013, there were 1.24 million Japanese visitors to Taiwan, but by 2017 that number had increased to 1.9 million, reports Zakzak.

That number is likely to continue increasing in the years ahead.

This year, during the high summer travel season of July 15 to Aug. 31, Taiwan expects to see around 240,000 visitors from Japan, which is an 8.3 percent increase over the same period in 2018.

According to Zakzak, many Japanese travel agencies report that Taiwan is consistently a top choice for customers looking to book vacations.

The island's geographic proximity, relative safety, low-cost travel options, and welcoming attitude towards Japanese visitors make it an ideal destination for short trips.


Tourism Observer

PHILIPPINES: Jeju Air Opens New Routes

Jeju Air launched six new routes in the space of four days in late December, including two new links each from its home market of South Korea to the Philippines and Taiwan, and one each to Malaysia and Thailand.

Frequencies on the sectors range from two weekly flights to daily services. All flights are operated by the South Korean LCC’s 737-800s. Only the two routes from Muan (MWX) will see no direct competition.

The longest of the new sectors is the 3,397-kilometre connection between Muan and Kota Kinabalu (BKI), while the shortest is the 1,395-kilometre link from Daegu (TAE) to Taipei Taoyuan (TPE). The average sector length across the six routes is 2,482 kilometres.

Cebu Airport celebrated the inaugural Jeju Air departure on the South Korean carrier’s new route to Muan on 22 December.

Flights will operate five times weekly on this 2,754-kilometre sector facing no direct competition. This was one of six new routes launched by the LCC between 19 December and 23 December 2018.

Jeju Air introduced a new route from Daegu (TAE) to Macau (MFM) on 2 December. The South Korean LCC will operate the 2,110-kilometre connection five times weekly, using its 737-800s. There is no direct competition on the route.

Commenting on the airport’s latest link, Eric Fong, Director of Marketing Department, Macau International Airport Company Limited said: There are four low-cost airlines from Korea operating services between Seoul, Busan and Macau.

This new service between Macau and Taegu would be in time to satisfy the Christmas peak season for travel in the coming December. Daegu becomes Jeju Air’s second route to Macau, with the carrier already operating a service from Seoul Incheon.

Jeju Air, is a South Korean low-cost airline, the first to be founded in the country. It offers scheduled domestic services between several cities in South Korea, as well as between Seoul and international destinations including Japan, China, Russia, the Mariana Islands, and various Southeast Asian countries.

It is also a founding member of the Value Alliance. Jeju Air is named after the Jeju Island. The airline, a member of AK group, is scheduled to open a Seoul head office tower hotel at Hongik station of the Seoul Metro, to diversify income.

Jeju Air operates an all-Boeing fleet consisting of the following aircraft:

- Boeing 737-800: 40

Total: 40

CHINA: Importance Of Chinese Tourism

Accordingly, spending by Chinese tourists abroad has increased. Various sources place their expenditures in 2016 at $261 billion. Today, China has become the world’s largest outbound tourism market in terms of volume and spending, surpassing the United States and European countries.

Millennials and senior citizens make up the bulk of the travellers. By 2020, 300 million millennials are predicted to avail of leisure tours to foreign countries. These young adults were born between 1980 to the 1990s, when the one-child policy was still in effect. Having no siblings to compete with for their parents’ and grandparents’ affection and money, they have the means to travel the world with no monetary restrictions.

In Asia, Europe and the Americas, Chinese tourists have now become an ubiquitous presence. Their number has more than doubled in the last seven years, from 57.38 million in 2010 to 122 million in 2016, according to the its government's tourism administration.

China’s phenomenal growth in international travel has been attributed to its booming economy, the massive expansion of its middle class, the government’s moves to lessen restrictions and simplify certain processes, and the easing of visa restrictions specifically for them in many countries.

In the past decade, its average annual GDP growth has reached a high of 14.2% in 2007. (The ideal GDP growth to sustain a good economy is 2-3 percent.) China is now the second top economy after the US, with a nominal GDP of $11 trillion (the US’ nominal GDP is $18 trillion.) But in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) China has overtaken the US and is expected to be the number one by 2050, as a study by Pricewaterhouse Cooper shows.

As a result of the country’s robust economy, millions of its people have been lifted from poverty to gain a middle-class status. Although more than half of its population of 1.388 billion are still in the low-income class, 31 percent now belong to the middle class, earning from $10 to $50 per day. That amount is more than enough to provide for the basic needs, leaving extra money for travelling.

The top destinations for these new globetrotting Asian travellers shift periodically. Most first-time travellers visit Asian nations before venturing farther out west. Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia remain the favourites while the United States, France and Germany are the most visited in the western world. In 2016, South Korea saw an increase of Chinese tourists while Europe experienced a decline in incoming travellers because of recent terrorist attacks.

The economy in places visited by these alien visitors has been enormously benefitted. Retail shops, luxury brands, restaurants, hotels, the transportation industry and entertainment stand to gain much from catering to them. In turn, many of these businesses are modifying their services to please their free-spending Chinese clients, earn their praise and goodwill and spread the word about them for future patronage.

The travelling Chinese are quite sensitive when on foreign land. They see discrimination and disrespect in simple acts from the non-Chinese, such as when they are told to queue the line or not to smoke in hotel rooms. They are also protective of their country’s history, and perception of alleged revisions in significant events like the Nanking Massacre can have a negative effect on business.

On the other hand, they are also typecast as lacking in manners, and are rude and uncouth. Cultural differences are not only apparent in their trips to the US and Europe; even their Asian neighbours have complained about them.

The first half of 2016 saw a 7% drop in outbound Chinese tourists to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. But elsewhere, it is still increasing, albeit not as much as in the previous years. Optimistic forecasts say that the outbound Chinese tourists will be twice as many as the 122 million in 2016. Goldman Sachs predicts that overseas spending by the tourists will reach $450 billion by 2025.

The older population in China is increasing, too. Thanks to improved healthcare, they live longer and stay healthier into their 50s and 60s. Done with their parental responsibility to only one child, they are now enjoying a lifestyle that gives them time and enough cash for leisure travel.

China and the host countries should take advantage of the gains to be had from each other. The communist country’s government through its China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) recently published a guidebook educating its citizens on proper behaviour and social graces to observe when travelling abroad. Tour agencies booking Chinese travellers must also help in the education.

Countries receiving Chinese tourists are learning to recognise their cultural distinctiveness and respond accordingly by putting up signs in Chinese and teaching them the local ways and customs in a non-offensive manner.

If both parties are open to a change in mindset that leads to improved relationships, global economy will grow and an understanding of the differences in cultures will promote friendship that will bring about mutual benefits.



Tourism Observer
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HONG KONG: Hong Kong Tourism Board Announces ICBC Asia

Hong Kong Tourism Board has announced The All New “ICBC (Asia) e-Sports & Music Festival Hong Kong” Featuring the First-ever E-sports, Music and Gourmet Extravaganza

This summer, visitors to Hong Kong will be able to immerse themselves in the world of e-Sports, music and exciting gourmet experiences unlike anything they have experienced before, as the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will launch the 3-day extravaganza “ICBC (Asia) e-Sports & Music Festival Hong Kong” at the Central Harbourfront from 4 to 6 August.

The Festival has three exciting, never-seen-before elements, offering visitors an unforgettable summer experience.

The world’s first ever “Return of the Legends” tournament: Held on 4 and 6 August, the “Return of the Legends” semi-finals and the final will highlight former professional league players of the online video game “League of Legends” from different regions of the world, such as Europe, Mainland China, Taiwan/ Hong Kong/ Macau, including world championship winners, to compete for glory.

Hong Kong’s first ever SMTOWN SPECIAL STAGE in HONG KONG: On 5 August, some of Korea’s hottest stars, including SUPER JUNIOR - D&E, SUPER JUNIOR – YESUNG, SHINee, f(x) Luna, EXO, Red Velvet, NCT 127 and NCT DREAM, will perform their latest hits, as well as group-crossover performances.

Be the first to experience products never before displayed in Hong Kong: There will be a Festival Zone featuring many e-sports and electronic products, such as multiple VR e-Sports combat games, for visitors to experience firsthand.

There will also be gourmet delights suitable for all ages for the enjoyment of visitors and locals alike.

The “Return of the Legends” contests will also be live broadcast on major networks in six languages (Cantonese, Mandarin, English, Korean, Thai, and Spanish).

Tickets for the SMTOWN SPECIAL STAGE in HONG KONG will be available for purchase from 19 June on www.hkticketing.com.hk ; tickets sales for “Return of the Legends” will be announced later.

The admission fee to the Festival Zone is HK$10 (CAD$1.7) at the entrance during the Festival. For more details about the opening hours and the latest game unveiling at the Festival, please visit www.emfhk.com

The “ICBC (Asia) e-Sports & Music Festival Hong Kong” is one of the events commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

TAIWAN: Wonder Chickens Tours At Hsinchu Zoo

Travellers in Taiwan are being offered the chance to celebrate Chinese New Year in a very unique way. Hsinchu Zoo in northern Taiwan has created a special chicken-themed tour to commemorate the Year of the Rooster, which began on 28 January.

The ‘wonder chickens tour’ will give visitors a detailed introduction to the dozens of species of ground-feeding birds that live at the zoo. Special attention will be paid to the Chrysolophus pictus, or golden pheasant, which zoo director Yang Chia-min has dubbed the zoo’s Lunar New Year icon due to its bright red and yellow plumage – both colours are considered auspicious in Taiwanese culture.

The zoo feels tours are especially well set up for families, with “information boards for all the ‘wonder chickens’ to improve children’s understanding of these creatures.”

Hsinchu Zoo is located in the city of Hsinchu, around 90 km southwest of Taipei along Taiwan’s northwest coast. Opened in 1936, the zoo is among Taiwan’s oldest and is home to several native Taiwanese species, including the Formosan Sika deer and barking deer.

CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech Tourism Is Best Now Since 2000

The Czech tourism sector has enjoyed a bumper season in the first nine months of the year with 14.6 million tourists staying in accommodation.

That is the highest total since 2000 and 7.1 percent above the total during the same period in 2015.

Many more Czechs visited sites at home with stays up by just over half a million at 7.4 million.

The number of foreign visitors climbed by 419,000 to 7.1 million. Germans counted for 1.4 million of those visitors.

There were strong rises as well in the number of visitors from China, Taiwan, and South Korea.

THAILAND: Thailand Doubles Visa-on-arrival For 18 Countries

The new charge will come into effect on 27 September, and apply to the citizens of all 18 countries offered visa-on-arrival in Thailand. These include China, India, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia.

The newspaper reported the Thai Foreign Ministry as saying that the decision to implement a 100% increase was based on the belief that the current charge is lower than the visa fees paid by Thai tourists visiting other countries.

The timing of the decision is not ideal however; Thailand’s tourism authorities are working hard to encourage international travellers not to cancel their trips to the kingdom, following the recent bombings in several resort areas. The reason for the attacks is still unclear.

The other countries offered visa-on-arrival to Thailand are Bulgaria, Bhutan, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Romania, San Marino, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Chinese Outbound Tourists Grow

According to the latest figures from the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), mainland Chinese travellers made 18.0 million outbound trips to overseas destinations (not including Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan) in the second quarter of 2016. This represents a 12.5% increase compared to Q2 2015.

The number of mainland Chinese visitors to these three “Greater China” destinations declined 3.7% however, meaning that for the first time, more journeys are being made to destinations beyond Greater China (53.3% of the total) than within the region.

In total, 33.8m outbound trips were made by mainland Chinese travellers in the April-June 2016 period, up 4.3% compared to the 32.4m seen in the same period last year. Single-digit growth was also experienced in the first quarter of 2016, and while COTRI admits that this is “sluggish” compared to previous years, it says that the statistics alone don’t reflect the more significant trends taking place within Chinese outbound tourism.

For example, mainland visitor numbers to Macau edged up just 0.9% to 4.8m in Q2 2016. This follows 2015’s drop-off in arrival numbers amidst the Beijing government’s anti-corruption campaign, which has had a severe impact on Macau’s gaming sector. And Chinese visitor arrivals to Hong Kong fell 5.4% to just shy of 10m in Q2 2016, as changes in visa regulations and negative publicity continue to impact travel.

Other regional short-haul destinations however, are booming. South Korea welcomed a record 2.1m Chinese arrivals in Q2, representing a year-on-year jump of 36.3%, while mainland visitor numbers to Japan reached 1.6m, up 27.8%.

For long-haul destinations, COTRI’s research reveals a more mixed picture. Following a number of high-profile terror attacks over the past year, Europe has seen sluggish growth in terms of Chinese arrivals, with some destinations even reporting declining figures. This trend has been counterbalanced however, by a rise in travel to alternative destinations such as New Zealand, Australia and the US, which saw year-on-year growth of 26.5%, 22.6% and 17.0% respectively.

COTRI noted that security concerns have a significant impact on Chinese tourists’ choice of destination, although the market’s overall desire to travel overseas remains strong.

KAZAKHSTAN: Air Astana Signs Codeshare Agreement With Hong Kong Airlines

Air Astana has signed a codeshare agreement with Hong Kong Airlines, making it the Kazakh carrier’s seventh codeshare partner. Air Astana customers now have the opportunity to book tickets of both airlines to reach Hong Kong Airlines’ destinations in China, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam.

*Note: All departures and arrivals are listed in local time

Air Astana operates services to Hong Kong twice weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays) with a Boeing 757 configured with 16 Business Class and 150 Economy Class seats. The flight time from Almaty to Hong Kong is 5 hours 50 minutes. The service was launched in August 2012 and since then Air Astana has carried 74,000 passengers and 1,300 tons of cargo on the route.

Mr Ibrahim Canliel, Senior Vice President Marketing and Sales of Air Astana, said, “The codeshare agreement marks the strengthening of the link between Hong Kong and Kazakhstan, a route established in 2012. We are pleased to offer Hong Kong Airlines and their customers an enhanced network to Kazakhstan and our beyond network in Central Asia, Russia and Europe. With the introduction of the visa free regime for passport holders of HKSAR and the start of services, we have seen an increasing number of visitors to Kazakhstan. With the start of the codeshare, we aim to enhance the reach to even more customers in Hong Kong Airlines’ home market and their beyond network offering a convenient gateway along the Silk Road to the Heart of Eurasia”.

Mr Li Dianchun, Chief Commercial Officer of Hong Kong Airlines, said, “We are delighted to start our partnership with Air Astana to extend our network further to Almaty, the trading and cultural hub of Kazakhstan. This marks Hong Kong Airlines’ another step to the Central Asia, and is also our first codeshare agreement in 2016. The two airlines have a lot in common, for example, both are young and committed to delivering quality products and service as Skytrax 4-Star airlines. I believe our passengers will enjoy the distinguished service provided by Air Astana.”

Hong Kong SAR passport holders are able to travel visa fee to Kazakhstan, as are Kazakh citizens visiting Hong Kong.

Tickets under the codeshare agreement for travel period from today onwards can be purchased via travel agents or through the airlines’ sales offices and call centres.

CHINA: Tianjin Airlines Applies For Long Flights From Chongqing To Vancouver

Tianjin Airlines
Type Scheduled Carrier
Base Tianjin
Aircraft 91
Destinations 101
Routes 257
Daily Flights 409

Tianjin Airlines (GS, Tianjin) has applied to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for permission to begin longhaul flights from Chongqing to Vancouver Int'l, Canada via Tianjin in June next year.

The carrier plans to operate the route 4x weekly using A330 plane. Should it secure the official greenlight, it would become the second Hainan Airlines (HU, Haikou) subsidiary to operate intercontinental services after Capital Airlines (China) (JD, Beijing Capital) which launched flights to Europe this past summer.

Tianjin Airlines currently operates a fleet of eighteen A320-200s, fifty EMB-190s, and twenty-two ERJ-145s on flights across China as well as to Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Russia, and Taiwan.

CHINA: Chinese Police Crack US$78 Billion Multinational Gambling Syndicate

Police escort a suspect during the nationwide operation.

Main server hosted in Taiwan, while Cantonese and Putonghua-speaking customer service staff were located in Hong Kong, Thailand and the Philippines.

Mainland police have busted a multinational online gambling syndicate they say generated more than 500 billion yuan (HK$608 billion) in bets and which served nearly a million registered members in the country, local media have reported.

Planning for the massive crackdown - code-named Operation 109 - started last year.

Despite a large number of arrests in July, the police action came to light only when it was announced by the Ministry of Public security yesterday.

The syndicate had a complex structure with overseas divisions overseeing more than 500 websites targeting mainland gamblers, The Beijing Newsreported, citing the ministry.

The main server was in Taiwan, while Cantonese and Putonghua-speaking customer service staff were located in Hong Kong, Thailand and the Philippines.

Hong Kong police said they would not comment on individual cases.

"From our data analysis, every sign is pointing to a professional team working in the background," said Peng Zhihong, from the Yueyang Public Security Bureau's internet crime investigation unit in Hunan .

The police said the suspects used fake identity cards and "illegitimate" mobile phone cards to create identities, and regularly disposed of computer and communication equipment, which made investigation difficult.

Confiscated computer equipment and other evidence seized in the operation.

More than 120,000 registered gamblers out of the million or more who had credit were actively betting on the sites at any one time. The police estimate the websites racked up more than 500 billion yuan in bets.

The sum dwarfs the dealings at the biggest casino operators. Sands China's four casinos in Macau recorded US$8.35 billion in net revenue last year, while SJM Holdings took HK$79.2 billion.

According to the report, winnings were paid into gamblers' bank accounts. Likewise, gamblers were required to pay losses to the sites' bank accounts. Those who failed to do so faced swift retribution.

The mastermind was identified as a 39-year-old man surnamed Xu from Chaoshan in eastern Guangdong, while a Shenzhen-based internet technology company provided coding and website design to the server in Taiwan.

Xu rented most of the gambling sites to smaller syndicates, which operated as companies, for between 30,000 to 50,000 yuan a month.

It is believed the rental income alone was worth 13 million a month to Xu, on top of the takings he received from the online casino that he operated by himself.

Each of the tenant syndicates had shareholders, who in turn had their own agents to develop a customer base – similar to a multilevel marketing scam – Shanghai-based news paper Thepaper.cn reported.

Customers accessing any of the gambling websites were required to log-in, bypass a search interface, then enter more safety codes that lead to a navigation interface and selection menu before placing their first bet.

The interface to all websites could be changed instantly in a security breach was detected.

Police made their first arrests in July, 84 in total, in several cities in Guangdong province, including Shantou, Jieyang, Shenzhen, Dongguan and the capital, Guangzhou.

Another 12 gambling locations such as private homes were also raided and accounts at 14 different banks were seized.

Xu, the syndicate’s mastermind, fled to Jieyang, where he was arrested in September.

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.

CHINA: Japan most popular for Chinese tourists

Japan is proving to be the most popular overseas destination for Chinese mainland tourists during the ongoing seven-day National Day holiday (from Oct. 1 to 7), according to a report from Ctrip, China's largest online travel agency.

Based on the company's booking information, Japan will top the overseas holiday destination list ahead of the traditional hot spots South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong and Macao, Taiwan and the United States.

Based on the company's booking information, Japan will top the overseas holiday destination list ahead of the traditional hot spots South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong and Macao, Taiwan and the United States.

Compared to the holiday period last year, the number of mainland visitors to Japan will double, according to a statement released by the China National Tourism Administration on Sunday.

The influx of mainland Chinese visitors has been a welcome shot in the arm for Japan's economy, with hotels in Tokyo seeing their occupancy rate increase to 93.5 percent, bouncing back to the level before the economic depression, according to a report from the Tourism Industry Association of Japan cited by the website China.org.cn on Monday.

In July, the Japan Tourism Agency estimated that there were 9.14 million foreign visitors to Japan in the first half of the year, up 46 percent from the same period last year and raising expectations for a record number of visitors in 2015.

It added the number of visitors from the Chinese mainland was around 2.18 million in the first six months, double the same period last year.

Hong Kong was the big loser during this year's holiday, according to the statement from China's tourism authority. There were 1.27 million visitor arrivals to the special administrative region during the first three days of the holiday, down 5.18 percent year-on-year, of which 430,000 were from the mainland.

On the other hand, South Korea has recovered from the heavy hit its tourism industry took because of the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome thanks to the introduction of preferential visa policies and tourist discounts.

The report from Ctrip suggests the United States is also attracting growing attention from Chinese tourists thanks to the introduction of more convenient visa policies for visitors from the mainland.

In 2014, there were over 2.18 million visitors from the mainland to the U.S., a year-on-year increase of 20 percent. The upward momentum continued in the first half of this year with a 16 percent increase year-on-year, according to a report from Tuniu, a Chinese online tourism service provider.

The three cities that mainland Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited during his state visit to the U.S. — New York, Washington and Seattle — were the top choices for mainland tourists, said Tuniu based on its tourism services searching and booking information.

"The improved tourism environment including the smoother visa process and more experiences in outbound tourism have encouraged more Chinese tourists to go overseas by presenting them with more choices instead of just the traditional nearby hot spots such as Hong Kong, Thailand, and South Korea," said Xu Xiaolei, the spokesman for China Youth Travel Service.

The domestic tourism market is also expected to witness a holiday boom, with the number of holiday visits predicted to reach 750 million, according to a Xinhua News Agency report on Monday that cited data released by the Transport Ministry.

"Trips are concentrated on popular tourism places such as Beijing, and Guangdong, Sichuan and Anhui provinces," said Liu Pengfei, the ministry spokesman.

Over 640 million trips are expected to be made by rail, up 1.6 percent on the same period of last year.

The number of travelers using the railways on the peak days — the first and last two days of the holiday — are expected to exceed the peaks during this year's Spring Festival holiday, the China Railway Corporation said.

During the 40-days of the Spring Festival holiday rush, around 7.3 million people traveled by train each day. However, the daily figure transportation so far during the National Day holiday has been 13 million.

Top destinations:

1. Tokyo

2. South Korea

3. Thailand

4. Hong Kong

5. Macao

6. Taiwan

7. United States

ST VINCENT & GRENADINES: St Vincent Getting $5 Million Loan From Taiwan to Complete International Airport

St Vincent and the Grenadines is getting some additional help to fund the construction of its long-awaited international airport.

The country is securing a loan of $5 million from the government of Taiwan to “assist in the financing of the construction of the Argyle International Airport,” according to a statement.

The project, when completed, will allow larger passenger jets to fly into the country for the first time.

St Vincent’s existing airport, ET Joshua, can only receive regional flights from neighbouring islands.

In a presentation on the loan, St Vincent and the Grenadines Foreign Minister Camillo Gonsalves said the international airport was a “basic requirement for the development of a modern society.”

SOUTH KOREA: Lucky Air Flys To Jeju

Lucky Air celebrated the launch of its first service to South Korea from Kunming on 10 September with a massive banner, which was displayed both on the apron and inside the terminal.

It is the airline’s fifth international route from Kunming following three in Thailand and one in Taiwan.

Lucky Air has enhanced its international offering from Kunming (KMG) with the introduction on 10 September of services on the 2,482-kilometre route to Jeju (CJU) in South Korea.

Flights operate thrice-weekly (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays), though the return flight arrives back in Kunming at 01:30 the following morning. No other carrier serves this airport pair.

Lucky Air now serves 31 destinations non-stop from Kunming, with five of those outside of China. Apart from Jeju, the airline also serves Koh Samui, Krabi and Phuket in Thailand, and Taichung in Taiwan.

JAPAN: Vanilla Air Flys To Hong Kong

Where are the mascots? Vanilla Air’s new service from Tokyo Narita to Hong Kong launched initially, thrice-weekly flights.

Frequency will have increased to twice-daily flights. Hong Kong becomes Vanilla Air’s sixth route from Narita. The airport pair is already served by three other carriers, including Vanilla Air’s parent company, All Nippon Airways.

Vanilla Air, the fully-owned LCC subsidiary of All Nippon Airways, launched thrice-weekly (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays) flights between Tokyo Narita (NRT) and Hong Kong (HKG). Frequency will increase to daily and then twice-daily.

The 2,940-kilometre route will be operated by the airline’s A320s and will face competition from Cathay Pacific Airways (28 weekly flights), All Nippon Airways (14) and Japan Airlines (seven).

Hong Kong becomes Vanilla Air’s sixth route from Narita, with a seventh (Kaohsiung in Taiwan)

SOUTH KOREA: Company Brings 420 Agents To The Country Following MERS Outbreak

GTA is hosting a mega-fam trip to South Korea, in an effort to help the country’s tourism industry recover from the recent MERS outbreak.

The company has teamed up with the Visit Korea Committee and Seoul Metropolitan Government to bring 420 Asian travel professionals to the country. The attendees come from GTA’s partner agencies in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand.

“Since the MERS-free announcement on 28th July, it’s time to remind the world’s travellers of all they are missing here. Travel agents can be powerful advocates and spokespeople for a destination in a way that websites can never be, so we are delighted to be playing such a significant part in this initiative,” said Cyndi Ng, GTA’s head of strategic partnerships & market development for Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa.

“Our strong network and long-standing relationships in South Korea’s key source markets make us a preferred partner to help hotels and destinations recover and welcome the return of visitors from around the world.”

The mega-fam trip has been timed to coincide with the 2015 Seoul International Travel Mart, which takes place this week. GTA is also running a ‘Korea Grand Sale’ with Visit Korea Committee, which offers agents 50% off 11 selected hotels in the country and other benefits.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization, South Korea saw a 41% decline in visitor numbers in June, following the MERS outbreak in late May.