FOREIGN travel among Vietnamese have traditionally been reserved for the wealthy, but a growing middle class is bucking that trend, according to local and regional tour operators.

“The living standard in Vietnam is increasing day by day,” said Vu Tuan Tu, leader of marketing and communication for Vietravel, urging outbound operators to shift their attention to the country’s growing middle class.

Hoang Tich Hong Hai, accounts manager for SaigonTourist, agreed: “The main markets have to focus on the average people, not the wealthy ones. The lifestyle (standard) is rising, Vietnamese people want to go outside (the country) to explore.”

Unlike their wealthier counterparts, Vietnam’s middle class tends to stay within Asia, according to Shirline Ng, sales manager at Princess Cruises, because obtaining tourist visas elsewhere can be difficult.

Many countries in North America and Europe grant visas based on one’s income and previous travel record, she explained. “If your passport is totally empty, you can forget about a US (or) Canada visa.”

Meanwhile, similar costs of living make neighbouring nations accessible to Vietnam’s middle class. Sambath Leakhena, sales executive for FCC Hotels in Siem Reap, commented: “They travel to Cambodia and Cambodians are also traveling to Vietnam.”

The Cambodian Ministry of Tourism reported more than 900,000 Vietnamese to Cambodia last year, comprising more than 20 per cent of all foreign visitors to the country.

Reporting by Dave Fox

HONG Kong Disneyland Resort has unveiled a slew of new programmes and activities to celebrate its 10^th anniversary.

First is a new concert-style stage show named Mickey and the Wondrous Book featuring 22 original costume designs and various Disney characters, set to be launched on November 17, 2015.

Additionally, the resort has enhanced its Disney in the Stars fireworks show with cutting-edge technology, lighting effects and a video projection using the Sleeping Beauty Castle as a canvas. The enhanced show will officially launch in November.

Other new attractions include the Fairy Tale Forest in Fantasyland in December, photo opportunities with Disney characters with the new Happily Ever After storybook photo spots around the park, as well as anniversary-themed merchandise and food.

Seasonal offerings during Halloween and Christmas such as Disney Haunted Halloween and Disney Sparkling Christmas will be held concurrently with the 10th anniversary celebrations.

The resort will also launch the Iron Man Experience in late 2016 and the opening of the Disney Explorers Lodge in early 2017.

BRITISH businessman and founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson, has his eyes set on launching a Virgin-branded airline in Thailand, according to a news report by the Bangkok Post.

Branson already have ventures in Thailand, including two Virgin radio stations and a chain of stores for its Virgin Active fitness brand. He cites the ease of working with the Thai people and the opportunities in Thailand as reasons for his interest in venturing into the country’s aviation and hospitality sectors.

Details are yet to be released, but the charismatic leader plans on making a big impression in hopes to shake up the aviation industry there.

LUXURY hospitality group Trump Hotel Collection has revealed a second property to be developed in Indonesia, which will see Asia get its first Trump-branded golf course. The resort will also be the second collaboration between Trump Hotel Collection and Indonesia’s MNC Group.

Located in Lido, West Java, the property will include a six-star luxury resort, 18-hole signature Ernie Els championship golf course, a country club, spa, as well as a high-end residences with villa and condominium offerings.

Bapak Hary Tanoesoedibjo, group president and CEO of MNC Group, said: “MNC is repositioning and rebranding what is currently known as Lido Lakes to be the pride of Indonesia.”

“The area will be a 3,000ha world-class integrated lifestyle resort destination, heralded by the completion of the Bogor-Sukabumi toll road which will enable guests an unprecedented opportunity to escape to this new destination,” he added.

The new Bogor-Sukabumi toll road, developed by MNC Group, will provide direct access to Lido Lakes, thus reducing the drive time from Jakarta to an hour. The resort is also located within an hour’s driving distance to the forests of Bodogol and Cikaweni waterfalls.

The official signing of the agreement took place on August 19, 2015.

In addition to the Trump luxury development, MNC group has also agreed to a partnership with a leading design and production firm based in Los Angeles to open Indonesia’s first world-class theme park.

DATA from travel intelligence company ForwardKeys found that air travel bookings from China have slowed sharply over the past three months, especially to Europe and the US.

This closely mirrors the decline in the country’s stock market, according to ForwardKeys.

Total outbound international bookings fell from a growth of 21 per cent year-on-year, to just 1 per cent since the Shanghai Composite hit its peak. The decline was worsened by lower Chinese purchasing power as a result of the weaker yuan.

ForwardKeys data shows that the biggest fall was in August when growth in outbound bookings turned negative, but departures from China from September to December 2015 will still grow compared with the same period last year.

Data also shows travel during the impending Golden Week national holiday from October 1 to 7 should not be affected because bookings were made months in advance.

However, bookings to Europe and the US for November and December 2015 are lagging behind the volumes for the same period last year, a reflection of the impact the weaker Chinese currency is making on travel decisions.

Olivier Jager, co-founder and CEO of ForwardKeys, said: “The prospects for the low season after Golden Week are still uncertain because Chinese travellers are becoming late bookers.”

INBOUND tour operators in mainland South-east Asia are benefiting from cross-promotion of the Mekong subregion, according to delegates at last week’s International Tourism Expo in Ho Chi Minh City (ITE-HCMC).

The exhibition, which took place last Thursday through Saturday, featured the theme Five Countries, One Destination, highlighting cooperation between Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.

According to Hoang Tich Hong Hai, accounts manager at SaigonTourist, travellers from Oceania, Europe and North America tend to visit more than one country in a single trip to South-east Asia.

“I sell many combined tours between two or three countries, for example, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos,” he said.

Syphone Keomanivong, an officer at the Laotian Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, told TTG Asia e-Daily that a majority of travellers to Laos also visit neighbouring countries.

Keomanivong said the Laotian government cooperates closely with other tourism ministries, but feels that the private sector needs to work more closely with providers in other countries to develop new products.

Aye Thuzar Thant, deputy managing director of Interconnection Travels in Yangon, said Myanmar sees fewer multi-country visitors than the other four nations, in part because hotel prices there are higher.

“Myanmar is growing its (tourism) industry cautiously,” said Aye Thuzar Thant, as they want to avoid a mass-tourism crush similar to places such as Bali.

She added that “it is best if we can offer combined deals so Western clients can come to South-east Asia as a whole package.”

Reporting by Dave Fox

WITH London remaining a prime attraction for 65 per cent of visitors from India to the UK, VisitBritain is keen to change that by promoting travel to other destinations in the country.

“We are trying to educate Indian travellers that there is more for them than just visiting London and its surroundings,” said Shivali Suri, India country manager at VisitBritain. “We are trying to encourage them to go to places like Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Indian travellers should explore the rest of the UK.”

To that end, VisitBritain is using digital media channels and trade engagements to spread the message. During Great Tourism Week, the British NTO’s ongoing roadshow that began last month and ending on September 18, it will be visiting nine Indian cities including Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Delhi, Lucknow, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

India is currently Britain’s largest source market among the BRIC countries, recording 390,000 visitor arrivals to the country in 2014, up four per cent from 2013. VisitBritain is aiming for 500,000 Indian arrivals by 2020.

Apart from the traditional visiting friends and relatives, leisure and business market segments generating Indian arrivals to the UK, Indian outbound players are seeing new segments.

“A lot of companies are offering incentive tours to the UK. In summers, we used to handle about three MICE groups, but this year we have already handled seven such groups,” said Hemal Majithia, marketing manager at Golden Tours.

Non-metro cities in India are also seeing more traffic to the UK. “The majority of our business is from metro cities and (nearby) cities because of air connectivity. However, demand has now picked up from the north-eastern region as well,” said Abhishek Singh, senior manager, sales and marketing, Lets Travel.