Fast and furious

Fast and furious

The Thai long-tailed boat is making a bold statement in Dubai, with the Anantara Palm Resort & Spa using it as a shuttle between the resort and Dubai Marina. The authentic vessel, shipped all the way from Thailand, makes several trips every day from the beach resort’s private jetty, through the bottom of the Palm Jumeirah and over to Dubai Marina on the city’s mainland. The colourful long-tail boat, known as a “Ruea Hang Yao” in Thai, can transport up to 10 people per trip and is available to both in-house and external guests. 

 

A great place to hang out

Changi Airport in Singapore has been voted the World’s Best Airport by air travellers for the third year in a row. The announcement was made recently at the 2015 World Airport Awards, held at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Paris, France. This is the sixth time that Changi Airport has picked up this top title at the World Airport Awards. The second and third best went to Incheon International Airport and Munich Airport respectively while Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport came in at a lowly 47. Find out more at www.WorldAirportAwards.com.

 

Revitalising Xinjiang

China’s northwest Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is revitalising its tourism industry after experiencing its first drop in visitor numbers and income in 20 years. Tourism brought 65 billion yuan (Bt340.9 billion) to Xinjiang last year, a 3.4 per cent decrease year-on-year. Nearly 50 million tourists travelled in Xinjiang, which was 4.8 per cent less than last year. The bureau has issued advice for promoting the winter and spring market. One idea, a subsidy for the cost of travelling by railway, would provide travel cards for inbound tourist groups, whose tour route must cover at least two Five-A scenic spots, the highest level for Chinese scenic spots. – China Daily

 

Egypt drops visa on arrival

Egypt is to end its visa on arrival service for independent travellers. Tourists wishing to visit Egypt will need to apply for a visa in advance from May 15 unless they come as part of an organised tour, Egyptian officials announced recently. Visitors from the European Union, Russia, Japan, the US and a number of other countries are currently able to receive a tourist visa on arrival at Egyptian ports and airports. Tourists travelling as a group with recognised travel agencies will still be able to get a visa on arrival, the Foreign Ministry stated.

 

Thumb down to kimchi

Foreign visitors to South Korea rated Korean cuisine as average, a public survey showed last week, putting a damper on the government’s campaign to expand “hallyu” through the Korean food culture. According to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, foreign visitors gave 74.44 out of 100 points to the taste of local food. American visitors rated Korean food the highest at 82.44, and Chinese visitors, who made up the largest percentage of respondents, graded Korean cuisine the lowest at 70. The poll was conducted on 810 foreigners who visited last year. – The Korea Herald

 

Indonesia to waive visa requirements

The Indonesia will waive visa requirements for 30 countries as early as next month to boost the country’s foreign exchange income from the tourist industry. Tourism minister Arief Yahya said last week that the revision of the visa-free list could attract at least 1 million new foreign tourists to the country and an additional foreign exchange income of US$1.2 billion on the assumption each tourist spent $1,200 during his or her stay. The new visa-free policy, which was initially set for China, Japan, South Korea and Russia only, has been extended to 30 countries including Canada, Mexico and the US, according to Arief. – The Jakarta Post