Tourism New Zealand’s newest promotional video featuring James Cameron and his wife walking the Routeburn Track in South Island, New Zealand

INDONESIA and New Zealand have signed an MoU in display of their commitment to boost travel between the two countries.

The MoU, signed by Arief Yahya, Indonesia’s tourism minister, and Todd McClay, New Zealand’s trade minister, in Jakarta on July 18, covers areas such as human resource development, information exchange, destination and tourism product development, marketing and promotions.

In addition, both countries agreed to engage in greater cooperation in regional and international forums.

Commenting on the signing, I Gde Pitana, deputy minister for international marketing development at the Indonesia Ministry of Tourism, said: “(Traffic between the two countries) is still small, but we could make it better, especially through tourism. The MoU is a milestone to enhance cooperation.”

He expects that the number of New Zealanders travelling to Indonesia would increase, especially in light of visa exemptions and the easing of regulation for yachting in the country.

There were around 17,000 Indonesian arrivals to New Zealand during the fiscal year ending May 2016, while around 79,000 Kiwis visited Indonesia in the same period.

Despite weaker arrivals into New Zealand, Steven Dixon, Tourism New Zealand’s regional manager South & South East Asia, said things are looking up. “If we look back at the last five years, we have seen the market grow about 65 per cent.”

According to Dixon, Tourism New Zealand intends to continue boosting demand from Indonesia through branding, public relations and cooperation with the trade.

He further urged the travel trade to work closely with agents from Indonesia to “create compelling packages to market New Zealand”.

As well, the tourism promotion body will bring Kiwi Link, a B2B training exchange, to Jakarta this October for the first time.

“The New Zealand trade would introduce their products to their Indonesian counterparts and learn from the Indonesian trade on the characteristics of Indonesian travellers,” commented Dixon.

Taipei, Taiwan

THAILAND’s outbound agencies should prepare for a mini price war as travellers look to take advantage of Taiwan’s visa exemptions, industry figures warn.

Tourists from Thailand and Brunei will be able to visit Taiwan visa-free for up to 30 days from Aug 1 under a one-year trial expected to bring in an extra 280,000 visitors and US$407 million in revenue.

Kritchanat Meesamran, managing director of Sun Smile Holiday and Travel Company and vice-president of the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), said operators would have to keep prices low even with extra demand.

“From now on, tour companies will have to compete on price for tour packages to Taiwan,” he said, adding that agents can expect a shift towards more last-minute bookings.

The decision came as Taipei seeks to arrest a slide in tourism revenue and was announced just a day before a deadly bus fire killed 24 Chinese tourists, a tour guide and the driver as they made their way to Taiwan’s international airport.

The move puts Taiwan in direct competition with South Korea and Japan for Thai tourists, which respectively offer 90-day and 15-day exemptions. Package tours to Taiwan are relatively cheap, and the stable currency makes it an attractive option.

KTK Tour Enterprise’s managing director Surawat Akaraworamat said he had no doubt Taiwan would soon threaten South Korea and Japan, which are major draws for Thais.

He said: “(With the visa exemption), Thai travel to Taiwan will increase for sure.”

The TTAA is anticipating a rise in outbound travel of between five to seven per cent for 2016, with Kasikorn Research Centre estimating Thais will make 7.4 million trips.

NATIONS worldwide have issued travel alerts to Turkey this week in the wake of a series of terror attacks and a failed military coup in the country.

The US Embassy in Ankara released a statement yesterday that the threat of terrorist activities, whether by firearms, explosives, vehicular assault, or other means, “remains elevated” in Turkey and that westerners have been “explicitly targeted”.

“Attacks in Turkey and other countries may come at any time without advanced warning,” it added.

The US Department of State also earlier this week advised its citizens to avoid travel to Turkey at this point in time in light of the July 15 coup attempt and recent attacks in the region.

“Extremists have targeted large sporting events, theatres, open markets, aviation services, transportation systems, and public venues where people congregate as well as religious sites and high-profile events (throughout Europe),” it warned, adding that southeastern Turkey should be particularly avoided.

Authorities in the UK have also issued updated advisories yesterday, pointing to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s declaration of a three-month state of emergency in the country as they fight to fully reestablish order post-coup.

As for terrorist threats, the UK government warns that “there is a heightened risk of terrorist attack against the aviation industry in Turkey”, and that the cities of Ankara and Istanbul, as well as the south and eastern parts of the country, are especially at risk.

In Asia, Singapore updated its travel notice to Turkey yesterday due to the many attacks in Ankara and Istanbul that took place since the start of the year.

Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned in a statement: “Singaporeans should reconsider the need for non-essential travel to Ankara and Istanbul at this point in time. Singaporeans are further advised to avoid travel to the border regions between Turkey and Syria due to the unpredictable security situation associated with the ongoing conflict in Syria.”

Singapore also raised a travel notice to Belgium this week due to a significant and probable terrorism threat there.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has downgraded their threat level for travel to Turkey from the highest warning level of red to the second highest level of orange after the attempted coup there was quelled.

Still, the orange alert level indicates that Taiwanese citizens should avoid all unnecessary travel to the European nation.

SINGAPORE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a notice for all Singaporeans travelling to or residing in Belgium, advising them to “take all necessary precautions for their personal safety.”

The official statement, released earlier this week, comes as Belgium’s National Terrorism Threat Level remains at a high three out of four, which indicates a significant and probable threat in the country.

Police operations targeting terrorist operations are ongoing in the European nation.

“Singaporeans should remain vigilant and where possible, avoid crowded places, public gatherings, and areas where there are ongoing police operations. They should also purchase comprehensive travel insurance and be familiar with the terms and coverage,” the statement added.

The Belgian capital was attacked by terrorists earlier in March this year, and authorities have been on high alert ever since. Neighbouring France was also hit just last week, in the city of Nice, during Bastille Day, which resulted in 84 dead.

Belgium’s prime minister Charles Michel said they will be on guard during the country’s national day celebrations tomorrow, July 21.

Singaporeans in Belgium are strongly encouraged to register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Those in need of urgent consular assistance may contact the Singapore Embassy in Brussels or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Duty Office.

CHEF Esben Holmboe Bang from Oslo’s Maaemo – the first restaurant in Norway to garner three Michelin stars – will be the guest chef for Resorts World Sentosa’s (RWS) third instalment of the Art at Curate dining series.

Gourmands in Singapore can expect creations from Bang such as Emulsion of raw Norwegian oysters from Bømlo, warm sauce made from mussels and dill; Scallop from the coast of Trondheim grilled in the shell over burning embers, winter apples and celeriac; Skate with fermented white asparagus, caviar and ramson. His signature dishes Langoustine “signature”, pickled spruce and rapeseed; and Brown butter ice cream, molasses and roasted hazelnuts will also be featured.

Said Bang: “During my guest stint at Art at Curate, I would like guests to experience a connection with Norway and its history. I am looking forward to bringing a taste of Norway to Singapore.”

Listed in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Chefs in the World in 2013, Bang works with seasonal produce and focuses on retaining the natural flavours, taste and quality of raw ingredients.

His restaurant, Maaemo, first opened its doors in December 2010 and earned two Michelin stars in 2012, a mere 15 months after opening. Earlier this year, it became the first and only restaurant in Norway to receive Michelin’s top rating of three stars.

Bang’s menu will run from September 16-25 at Curate, a restaurant at RWS which boasts an evolving lineup of visiting Michelin chefs from around the globe. Prices range from S$280 (US$207) for a four-course lunch with wine pairing to S$480 for an eight-course dinner with wine and champagne pairing.