TripAdvisor unveils travelers' choice islands.

27th March, 2013

TripAdvisor unveils travelers' choice islands.

Travelers' Choice Islands awards; Top islands worldwide recognized based on opinions of millions of travelers across the globe.

NEWTON, MASS. - TripAdvisor announced the winners of its inaugural Travelers' Choice Islands awards. Based on millions of valuable traveler reviews and opinions on the site, the awards recognize more than 100 islands across the globe, including dedicated lists for Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, the South Pacific, and the U.S. 

"Whether you're looking for idyllic palm-lined islands, or islands that offer a more cultural experience, you'll find inspiration in these lists," said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. "From the world famous to the hidden gems, what unifies every award winner is the fantastic feedback from travelers across the globe."

Top 10 Islands in the U.S.:

•San Juan Island, Washington

•Kauai, Hawaii

•Marco Island, Florida

•Anna Maria Island, Florida

•Maui, Hawaii

•Sanibel Island, Florida

•Chincoteague Island, Virginia

•Island of Hawaii, Hawaii

•Amelia Island, Florida

•Key West, Florida

Top 10 Islands in the World:

•Ambergris Caye, Belize

•St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

•Bora Bora, French Polynesia

•San Juan Island, Washington

•Santorini, Greece

•Isla Mujeres, Mexico

•Moorea, French Polynesia

•Koh Tao, Thailand

•Easter Island, Chile

•Nosy Be, Madagascar

"We're delighted that San Juan Island is honored as both the top island in the U.S. and as a top four world pick in the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Islands awards," said Deborah Hopkins, executive director for the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau. "We'd like to thank the travelers who have made this win possible, simply by sharing their love of the sparkling waters, abundant wildlife, outdoor recreation and vibrant arts scene that San Juan Island offers on TripAdvisor."

By: Helena Tzioti

Copyright@1999 - 2013, TravelDailyNews www.traveldailynews.com

Sabah a magnet for tourists.

27th March, 2013

Sabah a magnet for tourists.

SABAH, also known as the “Land Below The Wind”, is among one of the country's fastest growing economies driven mainly by its eco-tourism products, palm oil industry and other natural resources.

Home to the nation's highest peak Mount Kinabalu and world-class diving site Sipadan, Sabah draws hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world annually.

The Tunku Abdul Rahman Islands off the Kota Kinabalu capital city is also a popular draw for local and foreign tourists seeking adventure sport holiday packages.

The Danum Valley rainforest conservation area also draws researchers from all over the globe as well as prominent visitors like Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton last year.

 Copyright@1995-2012 Star Publications (M) Bhd

Step up efforts to promote islands.

13th March, 2013

Step up efforts to promote islands.

JOHOR BARU: THE Johor Tourism Department has to step up efforts to promote 14 islands in the state as tourist destinations in a bid to attract more visitors. Last year, the state recorded 22.3 million visitors, which was an increase of about 33 per cent in comparison to 16.7 million in 2011.

Johor Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Hoo Seong Chang said the department will focus on promoting the beaches and islands to tourists. "Johor has at least 14 islands including Pulau Tinggi, Aur, Pemanggil, Sibu, Tengah, Rawa, Kukup and Besar with resorts offering pristine beaches," he said at the launch of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) Fair at the Danga City Mall here recently.

"European tourists have returned to visit our islands. They are also fascinated with the wetlands of Kukup Island which has been recognised as a Ramsar site under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance."

He said the department is encouraged to speak to travel agents and the international media to provide them with information on the state's tourist attractions and gather feedback. "This is important in preparing for the run up to Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

Meanwhile, Tourism Ministry Johor office director Mohamad Isa Abdul Halim said that travellers are not affected by the upcoming 13th General Election. "Although polling date has yet to be announced, there was no drop in travel bookings in the state," he added.

Also present were MATTA Johor chairman Kenny Ngi and fair organising deputy president Steven Chung.

By: MAHANI ISHAK | johor@nst.com.my

Copyright@The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad

Langkawi's charter incentive drives arrivals.

11th March, 2013

Langkawi's charter incentive drives arrivals.

MALAYSIA'S Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) is keen to attract more charters to the island, having launched the Langkawi Charter Flight Incentive Programme (LCFIP) early last year.

Through LFCIP, which runs until December 31, 2015, LADA will provide financial support to charterers for their flight promotions to Langkawi, as well as assistance in joint marketing.

Malaysia Airports Holdings, which manages Langkawi International Airport, also provides free landing and parking to charterers participating in the programme.

At press time, LADA had secured 32 charter flights for this winter season, an increase from 27 last winter, with confirmed carriers such as Finnair, Novair, SCAT Air, Eva Air and Korean Air, said Rosnina Yaacob, LADA’s tourism division manager.

She added that LADA had also intensified its marketing efforts in Europe. “Europeans comprised 30 per cent of the total three million tourist arrivals and day trippers to Langkawi in 2012. This year, our target is to grow European arrivals to 35 per cent and total arrivals, including day trippers, to 5.9 million.”

Ting Zhang, sales and administration manager for In Depth Tourism Marketing UK, the sales office for The Danna Langkawi resort, lauded the LCFIP for providing more opportunities to woo longhaul travellers, particularly the high-yield Scandinavian market.

Nasha Abdullah, managing director, Malai Adventure Malaysia, agreed: “Word of mouth marketing is very important for the Scandinavian traveller. They are also creatures of habit, with the tendency to return to the places they have gone before provided they had positive, memorable experiences.”

By: S Puvaneswary, ITB Berlin

Copyright@TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd 2013

Tourism ministry closely monitoring situation in Lahad Datu.

Date: 7 March 2013

Tourism ministry closely monitoring situation in Lahad Datu.

THE tourism ministry and Tourism Malaysia are closely monitoring the situation in Lahad Datu and Semporna, Sabah and getting updates at 12-hour intervals from the Sabah Tourism Board.

Despite the intrusion into Sabah by terrorists last week, the minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, has reiterated that the state was still safe for tourism.

In fact, the intrusion had little impact on tourism in the country, shecsaid, adding that tourists should however, take precaution when travelling to Lahad Datu and Semporna.

"Not all places in Sabah are unsafe. Tourists can visit the captial city of Kota Kinabalu or scale Mount Kinabalu or head to Gaya Island.

"We are constantly monitoring the situation. We receive daily reports from the Sabah Tourism Board to relay information to our officials," she told a press conference after the soft launch of the Malaysia International Shoe Festival 2013 here yesterday.

Meanwhile, in the Sabah Tourism Board’s website, its director, Datuk Irene Benggon Charuruks has given an assurance that the tourism industry, island resorts and activities in the east coast of Sabah were operating as usual in the various dive destinations of Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking, Pom Pom, Pandanan and Lankayan. - Bernama

Copyright @ 2012 Malay Mail Sdn. Bhd.

Twin Towers top TripAdvisor list.

Date: 15 February 2013

Twin Towers top TripAdvisor list.

TRIPADVISOR, the world's largest travel site, yesterday revealed the highly rated attractions in Malaysia that travellers around the world were talking about the most last year. In a statement, TripAdvisor said the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur topped the list.

"These towers are really stunning, especially at night when they are lit up. They are so big that it was hard to get them both in a single picture," said a TripAdvisor traveller.

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), which came in at number two, has, as one TripAdvisor traveller said, anything and everything you need, from coffee places to shops, restaurants and bars.

At number three is the Langkawi Cable Car, Kedah. "You can feast your eyes on the breathtaking greenery along the way and we had a beautiful view of the sunset, too," said a traveller.

TripAdvisor said the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, at number four, was described by a traveller as an add-on after visiting the National Orchid Garden. "We spent three hours there watching the various birds soar through the huge canopy area. I would recommend this to anyone even marginally interested in birds," the traveller added.

TripAdvisor said the top 10 picks in Malaysia's most talked about attractions last year, from premier shopping malls to historical museums and tropical conservation parks, were ranked according to the number of reviews received on TripAdvisor.com based on global Internet protocol addresses between Jan 1 and Dec 31, last year.

TripAdvisor, which started in March 2011 in Malaysia, is the world's largest travel website and operates in 30 countries worldwide, including China. It features 1,443 hotels, 1,235 bed and breakfast inns, 143 vacation rentals, 3,024 restaurants and 941 things-to-do, including a collaboration with Malaysia's leading organisations like Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Maxis and Tourism Malaysia. - Bernama

Copyright @ 2011 The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad

Sabah set to become champion of marine tourism in Malaysia.

Date: 3 February 2013

Sabah set to become champion of marine tourism in Malaysia.

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit yesterday expressed confidence that Sabah would emerge as the champion of Marine Tourism in the country soon. He said this was evident from the increasing number of tourist arrivals in the state where, last year alone, a total of 2.88 million tourist came to visit Sabah, a marked increase of 1.1 per cent from year 2011 (2.84 million tourist).

He said last year’s state tourism calendar showed 18 cruise ships with 12,707 passengers had come to Kota Kinabalu Port. “Also, we have 131 international flights with 19,294 seats and 660 domestic flights with 85,976 seats a week having landed at Sabah airports.

“That is good for tourism sector in Sabah. Sabah must be proud to have a beautiful beach, high mountain, amazing world class islands, various ethnic groups, food and culture. These make Sabah a unique state compared to the other states in Malaysia,” he said in his speech in conjunction with 13th City Day Anniversary Celebration at Jesselton Point, near here. Also present was the Mayor of Kota Kinabalu City, Datuk Abidin Madingkir.

Dawos said Kota Kinabalu, with a suitable location and geography, had good opportunity to be one of the stop-over destinations for Cruise ships in Asia. “Tourists love our numerous towns by the seaside. Of all the places I went to, Kota Kinabalu is one of the best and fantastic cities to enjoy the scenic sunset,” he said.

“With the natural silhouette of beautiful islands in the background, we are here today at Jesselton Point (one of the popular leisure spots among the locals) to witness how such a wonderful event like KK City Day Sunset Sea Parade can be done here with Kota Kinabalu’s stunning view of the beautiful South China Sea,” he said. In this respect, Dawos underlined the need for the people, particularly city dwellers, to play their part in keeping Kota Kinabalu City clean and free from rubbish. — Bernama

Copyright @ 2010-2013 BorneoPost Online

300 Vietnamese Tourists To Visit Pulau Bidong, 22 Years After It Was Closed.

Date: 27 January 2013

300 Vietnamese Tourists To Visit Pulau Bidong, 22 Years After It Was Closed.

KUALA TERENGGANU - In March, about 300 Vietnamese tourists will visit Pulau Bidong, which was once a refugee camp for Vietnamese "boat people' who escaped the new Communist rule after the Vietnam War ended in 1975. The island, about 40km from here, will be reopened to visitors this March after it was closed as a refugee camp on Oct 30, 1991.

Terengganu Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman, Datuk Abdul Rahin Mohd Said said the 300 Vietnamese tourists were among thousands of refugees who were now residing in a number of countries including the United States and Australia.

"They are coming to see the monuments built and visit the graves when Pulau Bidong was a refugee camp," he said, adding that the state government allowed the visit but the visitors had to follow the regulations set. Their lives have changed for the better and they now wish to visit the graves of their ancestors and relatives who died on the island."

Abdul Rahin also said that the state government had approved an allocation of RM200,000 to clean up and maintain the natural beauty of Pulau Bidong, in line with the Terengganu Visit Year 2013 programme.

Pulau Bidong was handed back to the state government to be made into a tourist attraction following the closure of the refugee camp there.

Copyright @ BERNAMA

Asia's tourism players demand better ecotourism practices.

Date: 25 January 2013

Asia's tourism players demand better ecotourism practices.

WHILE balancing economic development and environmental sustainability continues to be a challenge, tourism players should chart the way forward for ecotourism in South-east Asia, a salient theme that was raised during the ASEAN Tourism Conference (ATC) at ATF 2013.

“We have to take care of the goose that lays the golden eggs,” said Victor Wee, chairman, Tourism Malaysia, on sustainability and ecotourism. “Ecotourism is a two-way street – it requires the responsible, conscious and committed participation of all parties.”

Tour operators should take a proactive stance, urged Umberto Cadamuro, director of business and operations, Pacto Indonesia. “The key is to keep sustainability in mind when developing products. We would recommend incentive groups to have their CSR activities in South-east Asia. It is the responsibility of DMCs to suggest this to their clients.”

Jimmy Sim, business development manager, Dorison Travel Singapore, agreed: “Sustainable tourism enjoys a higher profile in the Western world but is still something very new in this region. Hotels are the most polluting link in the tourism field. There are a lot of opportunities but it’s very frustrating as many hotel owners are just looking at dollars and cents,” said Anthony Wong, group managing director of Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel Malaysia and Frangipani Hotels & Resorts. “General managers are often appointed for two years or so, therefore it’s up to owners to set the vision and goals for their properties.”

Since adopting green practices such as rainwater harvesting, composting and setting up a wetland at Frangipani Langkawi, the resort’s operating costs have declined by 20 per cent, Wong revealed.

Community-based tourism can be tapped to improve the well-being of the local community while raking in tourist dollars, keynote speakers pointed out. For example, PATA Foundation has partnered Canada’s Capilano University to launch homestay programmes in Vietnam’s Sapa, according to chairman – board of trustees, Mario Hardy.

Better policies and regulations should be drawn up, as ecotourism products are generally under-priced in the region, leading to high visitations and environmental degradation, Wee added.

By Xinyi Liang-Pholsena, ASEAN Tourism Forum, Vientiane

Copyright @ TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd 2013

Langkawi casts wider net.

Date: 3 January 2013

Langkawi casts wider net.

THE Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) will strengthen its marketing efforts in new markets this year, which include China, India, South Korea, the Middle East and Australia. The tourism body aims to do this through digital channels, travel tradeshows and fam trips for travel consultants, while sustaining efforts in its traditional UK and European markets. 

Khalid Ramli, CEO of LADA, said: “This year we will also intensify our efforts to get more charter flights from Finland, Russia and Kazakhstan. We hope to attract at least 51 charter flights in 2013.” Between January 2012 and end-March 2013, Langkawi will see 36 charter services to Langkawi from South Korea, Sweden, Finland, Kazakhstan and Vladivostok. 

Khalid also revealed that Langkawi had recently picked up the slogan Naturally Langkawi to capture the essence of the destination, which lies in its natural attractions such as forests and 500 million-year-old rock formations. The branding exercise will spearhead LADA’s plan to meet the targeted RM3.8 million (US$1.3 million) in tourism revenue and three million arrivals in 2015. The goal is for 2.6 million tourists this year.

Said Khalid: “By 2015, we want Langkawi to be among the top 10 island destinations in the world.”

By S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur

Copyright @ TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd © 2013

Langkawi SkyCab Aims To Be Among World's Best.

Date: 19 December 2012

Langkawi SkyCab Aims To Be Among World's Best.

LANGKAWI (Bernama) - The Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) aims to make Langkawi SkyCab among the world's best and 10 must visit tourism products by 2015. Lada chief executive officer Tan Sri Khalid Ramli said Langkawi SkyCab or Langkawi cable car hopes to attract a total of 1.3 million visitors by 2015.

"Our initial target this year was 850,000 visitors but to date we have received over 950,000. Next year, we aim for 1.1 million visitors while in 2014, we expect 1.2 million visitors. Lada expects to collect revenue of RM32.5 million in 2015 with profit of about RM4.5 million. Other than from ticket sale, it also came from non-fare revenue," he told reporters after launching Langkawi SkyCab Business Plan 2013-2015 at Oriental Village here Wednesday.

Khalid said Langkawi SkyCab is the most unique cable car in the world due to its location in the forest ecosystem compared to others which are located in cities.

Copyrights @ BERNAMA