The Grand Palace in Bangkok, which closed following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, has reopened to the public yesterday.

“The Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Kaeo are the jewels in the crown of Thailand’s attractions. It is a superlative example of Thai art and architecture and has been the heart of the country for over two centuries,” said Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

“So we’re happy that visitors can come and enjoy this special place and take home glittering memories of our capital.”

Still, all visitors are expected to dress respectfully when visiting the Grand Palace, stated TAT, reminding that Thailand is still currently undergoing an official period of mourning for the late King.

Visitors are advised to wear sombre-coloured attire as a mark of respect during this period when visiting.

For tourists, the Grand Palace is open every day from 08.30-15.30. Entry and exit is via Wiset Chaisri Gate only.

Concurrently, the Laguna Phuket Triathlon 2016 event, which was cancelled earlier, will be reinstated to continue as planned on November 20, albeit with some adjustments for appropriateness.

Indigo Pearl, an established design icon in Phuket’s hospitality scene, recently rebranded as The Slate with a stronger focus on the family and MICE segments in its “next phase of evolution”, said Prakaikaew Na-Ranong, co-owner of the luxury resort alongside her father Wichit Na-Ranong.

All 177 suites and villas, F&B outlets as well as wellness facilities were given a makeover following the property’s relaunch in August 2016. According to Prakaikaew, the new experiences in the pipeline will encompass “increased MICE offerings and kids’ activities”.

The availability of outdoor space spanning over 14ha of tropical landscaping, a wide range of indoor and outdoor venue options, plus new experiential activities such as Buddhist monks’ blessings, meals featuring superfoods and a variety of team activities such as cooking, yoga and archery make up the property’s strengths in courting the corporate incentives and events segments, Prakaikaew posited.

Although European and domestic Thai markets have been its top clientele on the leisure front, The Slate is increasingly seeing “a strong pick-up (in demand) from South-east Asia, Japan and China”, prompting a focus on “new markets especially in the region”, she added.

Digital marketing will hence become a central focus for The Slate in 2017 to cope with the expected surge in short-term, last-minute bookings from a clientele that is becoming more mobile and demanding.

The Slate will continue to engage internationally acclaimed designer Bill Bensley, the creative mastermind behind the Indigo Pearl, to ensure that the industrial-chic resort stays fresh and updated in its design and facilities, informed Prakaikaew.

A Himiko boat at Odaiba Seaside Park. Courtesy: japan-guide.com

Tokyo’s waterways are being revitalised ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games.

With Tokyo Bay established in recent years as a tourist destination, attention has now shifted to improving transportation and leisure offerings on the river.

For instance, government-owned docks meant for emergencies are being opened for use by ferry services. Earlier in June, Taito ward opened one near Asakusa’s Senso-ji temple so that tourists can travel there by boat from Haneda Airport.

Currently, Japan’s first waterway transport company, Tokyo Water Taxi, which had been in operations since November 2015, says the company operates from 25 docks city-wide with more being opened, according to spokesperson Yuha Inoue.

The company plans to expand its routes by 2020 to include lesser-known destinations.

Meanwhile, authorities have been testing the feasibility of water routes between Haneda and tourism hot spots such as Akihabara and Yokohama.

Carl Kay, president of tour provider Tokyo Way, believes the waterways are a huge natural draw for tourists. “Deregulation needs to speed up but we remain hopeful, and we bring guests to the Tennozu Isle area whenever it fits their interests and schedules,” he said.

Earlier this year, restaurants were also opened on dry riverbeds in Tokyo and companies tested out cruises on the canal network.

According to Emi Izawa, representative of private tour operator Travelience, these efforts are likely to be popular given the success of other existing river and bay cruises in Japan.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has rebranded its online travel platform from Alitrip to Fliggy (Feizhu in Chinese), which means “flying piggy”.

The rebrand is part of a decision to refocus toward Chinese millennials, according to Sina News, with the company confident the cartoon-style logo can attract the younger generation.

Fliggy joins Ant Finance’s ant, Tmall’s cat, logistics arm Cainiao’s bird and second-hand goods site Xian Yu’s fish as the latest addition to Alibaba’s menagerie of animal logos.

Read the full story on gbtimes.

Article by gbtimes.

Mumbai skyline

The US embassy in New Delhi issued a security message for US citizens in India yesterday citing local reports of plans by ISIS to launch an attack in the country.

“Recent Indian media reports indicate ISIL’s desire to attack targets in India,” stated the advisory, using a different acronym to refer to the jihadist group.

It continued: “The US embassy warns of an increased threat to places in India frequented by westerners, such as religious sites, markets, and festival venues.

“All US citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness.”

Winnie Chiu (center), president of Dorsett Hospitality International; Anita Chan (fifth from right), general Manager of Dorsett Wanchai Hong Kong; and hotel staff

The Cosmopolitan Hotel Hong Kong has been rebranded as Dorsett Wanchai Hong Kong in a bid by Dorsett Hospitality International, a subsidiary of Far East Consortium, to better consolidate its branding efforts.

The property, located between Wanchai and Causeway Bay, has also given its 454 guestrooms, lobby and other facilities a major revamp to suit the midscale Dorsett positioning.

Dorsett Wanchai Hong Kong now offers eight room categories ranging up to 48m2 in size. The highlight remains its signature Grand Deluxe Course View Room which offers views of the famed Happy Valley racecourse located in front of the hotel.

Dining Place Restaurant that serves Chinese cuisine, the 3T Bar, a gym room and various meeting spaces have been given a facelift.

“The name change is more than just an upgrade of the hotel infrastructure. Our new credo comes with a new motto. ‘Delivering What Matters To You’ reflects our commitment to creating a unique experience by giving extra services to meet every individual’s needs while travelling,” said Anita Chan, general manager of Dorsett Wanchai Hong Kong.

The rebranding officially took place on October 29.

South Korean soldiers stand guard at the Demilitarized Zone

South Korean travel companies have welcomed reports that a new four-storey facility for tour groups will be built overlooking the DMZ bordering North Korea.

It is to replace the existing Dorasan facility which is now old and run-down. Officials also cited the old venue as being unable to handle the growing number of domestic and foreign visitors.

“Dorasan is always one of the most popular parts of the tours that we run at the DMZ every day,” said Amy Park, sales manager of Korea DMZ Tour.

“I believe (the new facility) would be a very good thing because the present observatory is quite old and too small for all the tourists who want to go there,” she said, adding that her company sends around 100 visitors to the facility daily.

Jenny Chun, spokesperson for DMZ Tours, also welcomed the news and emphasised the need for more viewing areas and parking lots for coaches.

“Yes, we think it will help solve some of those problems, but we are still waiting to hear the details of the plan, such as information on access,” she said.

Some 800,000 tourists visit the Dorasan observatory every year.

The new observatory will be built on a site 160m from Dorasan and covers nearly 3,000m²of space when completed. Officials hope to open the new observatory before the end of 2017.

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Travel industry players in Vietnam are increasing their investments in the country in hopes to better capture rising demand for the destination.

International arrivals to Vietnam have increased 25 per cent year-on-year in the first nine months of 2016, reaching nearly 7.3 million visitors, with relaxed visa policies set to boost arrivals even further.

Tran Gia Bach, general manager of Buffalo Tours, highlighted major projects taking place across the country that will help absorb future visitor increases. These include “significant infrastructure investments such as the improvement works at Noi Bai and Da Nang international airports”, he said.

“In addition, the government is undertaking a feasibility study for a new airport in Phan Thiet and preliminary work at Long Thanh near Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC),” added Bach. Tan Son Nhat, HCMC’s current airport, is also being expanded, with a new terminal set to open next year.

Bach also pointed to the new highway between Hanoi and Ha Long, which will open in 2017 and cut travel time between the two cities to three hours.

Leanne Harwood, vice president operations, South East Asia and Korea at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), agrees that Vietnamese authorities are keeping pace with tourism arrivals. “Recently, we’ve seen a strong push by the government to boost tourism to drive economic growth,” she said.

IHG plans to take advantage of this push by increasing its investment in the country. “Our presence in Vietnam spans six hotels across the country and we plan to double our presence over the next few years,” revealed Harwood. The upcoming Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc, for example, will add 300 rooms to the popular island destination next year.

Meanwhile, Buffalo Tours is also pursuing strategies to reap the benefits of Vietnam’s ongoing tourism growth. “(We) will expand our trade sales network to grow end-markets such as Scandinavia, China, Japan and South Korea to capture a greater share of arrivals to Vietnam,” said Bach.

They will also expand their network of tour desks, with 17 currently located in Hanoi and HCMC, to take advantage of demand for high-quality domestic and outbound travel services, a segment which Bach feels has been underserved.

Ribbon cutting to celebrate the new route at Noi Bai International Airport

Vietjet has launched two new connections from Hanoi, with flights heading to Taipei having commenced since October 30 and a domestic service to Hue starting today.

The flight to Taipei takes off from Hanoi at 14.05 and lands in the Taiwan capital at 18.00. The return leg then departs Taipei at 19.10 and arrives in Hanoi at 21.20.

This is the LCC’s third Vietnam-Taiwan connection, after Taipei-Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Tainan-HCMC. A route from Kaohsiung to HCMC will be in service from December 12.

Meanwhile, the new domestic flight departs from Hanoi at 12:35 and arrives in Hue at 13.45. The flight then returns at 14.20 and arrives in Hanoi at 15.30.

With the additional services, Vietjet now offers more than 20 routes connecting Hanoi with key destinations in Vietnam and Asia.