malay tourism

Coast tourism struggles through summer

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:16:00 +0000

GULFPORT — The Coast’s tourism industry has been struggling through a slowdown brought on by the anemic national economy, but experts in the field say some narrow sectors are doing well and others are expecting brighter days.

Air traffic in and out of the Coast is holding its own and new flights have been added. Hotel and motel room rentals are down, but the picture is improving.

In short, this summer has been a time of survival for the industry.

WILLIAM COLGING/SUN HERALD The Killingsworth family, from left, Veronica, 12, Cassie, 7, Angelina, Zane, 14, and Ron, play together on Biloxi Beach Wednesday. The Killingsworths are vacationing from Dawsonville, Ga.

Gallery:Tourism struggles through summer

“It’s not as busy as we would like,” said Bob Davidge, a spokesman for Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis.

At the Mississippi Hotel and Lodging Association, Executive Director Linda Hornsby put it this way: “I do think we have bottomed out. We’re going to turn around, but it’s just taking a little bit longer than expected.”

Richard Forester, at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, said hotel occupancy rates have been running just north of 60 percent. Rentals of the Coast’s 10,000 rooms were down 6 percent in June and 11 percent in July, but those were improvements over recent months.

“We haven’t turned the corner yet, but I think I see it in sight,” Forester said.

Some niche tourism businesses, though, have actually been boosted by the poor economy.

“Things look very encouraging,” said Louis Skrmetta at Ship Island Excursions.

His company takes passengers from Gulfport Harbor on day trips to Ship Island. Skrmetta said the recession seems to be helping his businesses.

His clientele is mostly people from neighboring states who are opting for day or overnight trips to the Coast, instead of longer, expensive vacations with faraway destinations.

Skrmetta’s three boats can take 1,200 people a day to the island at maximum capacity, and that has happened at least twice this summer.

“We think we will surpass the 40,000 mark this year,” he said — a level not reached since before Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport has been recovering this year from the loss of AirTran, a major carrier that pulled out in January.

“That left a big void,” said Jeremiah Gerald, director of air service development.

However, Continental began offering popular flights from Jacksonville and Tampa, and three new flights a week by Southern Skyways offer low-cost trips to and from Atlanta.

“Those passengers have a huge, direct effect on the economy,” Gerald said. “They come here for two or three days, and they spend money.”

In July, 37,000 people got off flights at the airport.

“That was the best on record for this year, and we expect to keep those numbers up,” Gerald said.

“In the fourth quarter, we’re going to be just about where we were in the fourth quarter last year.”

Hollywood Casino has been offering specials including reduced-price meals for senior citizens one day a week.

The casino has also reopened its marina and gave away two Chevy Corvettes in August.

Two others will be given away in October.

The hotel industry, too, has come up with new tactics to fight recession.

This summer, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and Hotel and Lodging Association began offering a three-night stay package, with the last night free.

However, Hornsby said, hotels discovered that many people didn’t have that third night to spare.

So, the industry came up with an alternative: For two-night stays, the second night at participating hotels is half price.

“We call it the BOGO,” Hornsby said. “By one, get one.”

Forester said this season seems partially bleak because 2008 was strong for Coast tourism.

The recession was not as pronounced then. But now, vacation and travel plans are being scaled back or scrubbed altogether.

“We had a really good year last year, so we’re comparing apples and oranges,” he said.

Tourism Campaign Pushes 67 Days Of Smiles

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:13:00 +0000

ORANGE COUNTY -- It’s been a tough year for tourism in Central Florida, but now tourism leaders said they have a new plan.

The Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau rolled out Orlando Makes Me Smile Wednesday, a new marketing plan that will rely heavily on social networking.

With attendance numbers dropping and multiple tragedies hitting theme parks hard, there has been little to smile about so far this year.

Stacey Doornbos and Kyle Post are supposed to change all that.

Doornbos and Post, who are from New York City, are the faces of Orlando Makes Me Smile campaign. They'll spend 67 days hitting local attractions and then blog, Twitter and Facebook on their experience.

"Orlando is beautiful. It is a wonderful city,” Doornbos said. “It’s clean. There are so many things to do here and we are just really excited to actually take in over one hundred events."

So far, parks have seen numbers drop by 8 percent. Convention bookings are down even more -- nearly 18 percent -- and next year won't be much better.

Experts predict visitor levels will remain nearly flat while convention bookings drop another 5 percent.

"This has been a challenge for every destination in the country,” said Gary Sain from the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “So we are holding our own, but obviously we are going to be very aggressive in trying to get more business to our destination.”

Drive markets, such as Miami and Atlanta where someone can easily make it down to attractions for a weekend, will be a big focus point.

Ads touting the smile campaign will run on radio, online and in print.

However, the main focus will be on Doornbos and Post and the word of mouth their experiences can bring.

“It's a good way for people to experience what it’s really like. That it’s not some overly produced thing. It’s just two people in Orlando experiencing what we are doing," Post said.

Miss Bahamas Tourism Queen, Tiara Cooper listed among the Favorites for International Title

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:10:00 +0000

Nassau, Bahamas – In the final days leading up to the Miss Tourism Queen International competition, one of the world’s leading pageant websites is taking note of Bahamian beauty Tiara Cooper. The statuesque beauty has been named as one of the favorites to win the coveted title by the beauty experts of leading pageant website Global Beauties.

Tiara, who captured the Miss Bahamas Tourism Queen title during the 2008 Miss Bahamas World pageant, has been competing at the pageant in China for the last three weeks. She has visited several provinces, experiencing the unique culture of China while promoting the Bahamian culture in the process. There are 98 delegates competing in the pageant which culminates with the grand finale on August 28th.

The Miss Tourism Queen International Pageant was founded by Mr. Charlie See in 1949. In 1993, the Miss Tourism Queen Organization held the first world final competition in Sri Lanka, and later in USA, Russia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Singapore, and many other countries as well. The contest then moved to China in 2004, and has been held there ever since, growing to the point where it is now considered to be a Grand Slam pageant – one of the top 4 in the world. With each country's tourism ambassadors coming together for the event, Miss Tourism Queen International aims to enhance tourism development, friendship among the countries, and international culture exchange.

Bahamians are being encouraged to boost Tiara’s chances in the pageant by voting for her online at http://www.misstqi.com/vote. php. The contestant receiving the highest number of votes automatically advances to the finals. There are 60 contestants competing for the title in this spectacular event.

Florida Tourism

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:08:00 +0000

Tourism executives look for ways to stretch marketing dollars and lure groups

With Florida visitor arrivals down 10 percent since autumn and no recovery expected before mid-2010, anxiety is running high at the governor's annual tourism conference this week.

Travel executives are seeking ways to do more with less, position themselves for an eventual uptick and identify new trends that the state can tap – from experience seekers to foodies.

They need to innovate, because the tourism industry -- vital to the economy of the state and South Florida -- faces its worst slump in decades, deeper even than the period after the 9-11 attacks in 2001.

In a brief speech Monday, Gov. Charlie Crist offered no specifics for the struggling industry, noting only "Now, more than ever, is the time to promote," and "visit Florida." He also made no mention of the recent $10 million cut in state funds for travel marketing.

But executives found some solace in plans outlined by the state's tourism marketing group, Visit Florida, to stretch a 30 percent smaller budget, especially through the Internet.

Visit Florida is turning more to Facebook, Twitter and social networking groups for promotions and trimming costly TV spots. It is targeting efforts more to Florida's top seven source markets including New York, Atlanta and Toronto. And it is deepening ties with business, working more closely with Disney and other major attractions and even teaming up with retailers such as Bealls to showcase giant photographs of Florida destinations in local stores, said Chief Marketing Office Will Secombe.

Executives recognized that neither government nor business has the cash today to boost marketing the way they did after 9-11, and they questioned whether travelers will ever return to the free-wheeling spending they did before the recession.

"We're training consumers to wait for the last-minute and best deal. And even if that's not a permanent change, it will be a tough one to recover from"' said Visit Florida Chief Execuive Chris Thompson.

New numbers from Smith Travel Research show the depth of the challenge in South Florida.

Through July, Broward County hotels saw occupancy fall 6 percent and average daily rates 13 percent. Revenue for available room – the industry benchmark -- dove 18 percent to $78 a day.

Palm Beach County hotels fared even worse. Through July, revenue per available room plunged 26 percent to $85 a day, Smith Travel said.

Jorge Pesquera, president of the Palm Beach County Convention and Convention Bureau, said his agency has been seeing a slowdown in the monthly declines, thanks to aggressive promotions that include a final-night stay at $19.09 and rebates up to $4,909 off large meetings booked by Sept. 30. The agency also is slowly tapping $2 million in extra county funding for promotions.

"I'm feeling most optimistic than I was this winter," Pesquera said. But he still sees no recovery until next year – once business travel and the meetings business improve.

Nicki Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, sees fewer tourist dollars until jobs recover and families spend more freely.

"Right now people are still congratulating themselves on how much they save," Grossman said.

In northeast Florida, hotelier Richard Goldman knows the pain first-hand at the 600-unit Amelia Island Plantation. His resort has laid off about 250 of its 1,100 workers since autumn, as its groups and meeting business plunged – especially in the wake of government officials criticizing resort meetings by leaders of companies receiving government aid.

"They're not hurting the fat cats. They're hurting the Joe Publics," said Goldman, senior vice president at the resort.

Goldman said groups used to account for up to 70 percent of his hotel's business and likely will fall to half this year. Rates are down too, by about 15 percent to an average $157 a night, he said.

Not all travel businesses are foundering.

Florida Vacation Auction.com of Fort Myers, is growing by tapping into travelers' desire for bargains. It now offers as many as 50 auctions a week on lodging packages and attraction tickets, almost double the tally last year, said Chief Executive Sal Dickinson, a former marketing chief for hotel groups. Discounts range up to 80 percent off retail.

Yet even Dickinson recognizes "there's only so low you can go" and stay in business "to make payroll and keep the lights on." He expects deep discounting will bottom out, perhaps next year, as business and group travel rebounds and hotels stop focusing so heavily on leisure guests to fill empty rooms.

That leaves many at the governor's conference to adjust to what economist and trend-spotter Richard Florida calls the "Great Reset," accelerating the transformation from an industrial to a "creative" society. He finds the Sunshine State well-positioned to cater to the growing creative class that seeks new experiences and areas with diverse people.

Wage freeze, tourism spending key items on Fort Smith agenda

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:28:00 +0000

Freezing wages and warming tourism were the hot topics for the last of two special meetings held Tuesday (Aug. 25) by the Fort Smith Board of Directors to plan for the 2010 budget.

The first meeting was held Aug. 17, during which City Administrator Dennis Kelly recommended a wage freeze for all city employees in 2010, and proposed a broad plan to expand the city’s tourism and recreation assets through implementation of a 3% prepared food tax.

WAGES
After Kelly reiterated his request to hold fast on salaries in 2010, City Director Kevin Settle noted that many in the private sector are also seeing wages frozen or cut. He noted that in the past six years with his employer, the workforce have seen three wage increases. Settle added that he and other salaried colleagues at his employer (Exide Technologies in Fort Smith) are taking week-long furloughs (non-paid leave) in the near future.

“It’s tough out there. I don’t like freezing wages, but I feel the pain,” Settle said, noting his support for Kelly’s request.

City Director Cole Goodman agreed with Settle, and added that its better to freeze wages than cut jobs.

But City Directors Don Hutchings and Steve Tyler said it sends a mixed message to talk about holding wages at the same time the city proposes a multi-million dollar plan to expand tourism and recreation facilities.

“It’s a big mistake,” Hutchings said of proposing a wage freeze when also proposing the tourism expansions.

But Directors Gary Campbell, Cole Goodman and Settle reminded the others that the tourism projects and the wage issues were realities of two separate pots of money. Goodman said citizens have to know that the “funding sources are different” and that the tourism and recreation projects have the potential to “make things better for everyone.” Director Bill Maddox, who has a reputation for opposing expansive new programs, agreed with Goodman’s comments.

Settle said if a wage freeze is enacted that the policy comes with a caveat that the policy will be reviewed in mid-2009 to see if economic conditions might allow raises to return in the second half of the year.

The board is likely to decide on the matter by November.

TOURISM/RECREATION FUNDING
In opening the dialogue on his proposed 3% prepared food tax, Kelly said his simple request to the board is, “What do you want to do?”

The bottom line of what Kelly presented Aug. 17 is $11.55 million in upfront capital costs, with roughly $3.55 million in ongoing annual costs funded by a 3% prepared foods tax — aka, restaurant tax — that could potentially generate $27.54 million in the first five years. More than 40% of restaurant taxes are paid by those outside Fort Smith, meaning the city generates $1 in tourism-related improvements for about 60 cents. (Link here for details on Kelly’s proposal.)

The main priority of the funding is to fix an estimated $1.8 million gap in convention center funding that will become problematic in 2012. The city’s portion of the state’s tourism turnback funds are set to expire in 2010. The city received around $1.8 million annually from the turnback program. Between 2001 and 2007, the city collected $13.23 million in turnback funds, with $4.36 million of that used to help pay down the 1997 sales and use tax bond debt.

Maddox was the first director to comment, suggesting the city use a portion of the existing 1-cent street tax and returning the business license fee (could generate up to $1.5 million annually) to fund the tourism/recreation asset expansion.

“That (business license fee) is a source of revenue that needs to be presented to the chamber of commerce to get their backing,” Maddox said.

Settle encouraged the city staff to begin working on maps and other visual aids that will help citizens get a better grasp on what is being presented. He said maps of trails and other new facilities are needed “so people can see what we’re talking about.”

The directors asked Kelly to prioritize the projects in the plan and present the priorities in a special study session before the end of the year.

Kelly agreed, saying there is “tons of due diligence to do” on plan details, and that it would be up to 90 days before substantive information would be available. Kelly said initial city staff discussions have suggested finding convention center funding is the first priority, with tourism/recreation projects that create the most jobs on the next priority level.

Kelly also agreed to work in funding options like those offered by Maddox.

“You have a tremendous opportunity for mix-and-match here to get the job done,” Kelly said of potential funding options.

"Boycott Scotland" the Latest Reaction to Lockerbie Killer Release

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:46:00 +0000

People are threatening to boycott Scotland. I don't think it is such a bad idea to boycott Scotland. In fact boycotting Scotland is a reasonable response to the release of mass murderer 57-year-old Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi on "compassionate grounds."

Robert Mackey has written an article on The New York Times titled "Scottish Justice Secretary Explains Release of Lockerbie Convict." In the article we are made privy to the video presentation of Scotland's Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill defending

"Boycott Scotland" the Latest Reaction to Lockerbie Killer Release

Date: August 21, 2009

why the killer was let go. This is simply further angering those who think Scotland should be boycotted.

Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi served 8 years of jail term that was supposed to me a 27-year-minimum term. This was punishment for killing 270 people.

It is hard to know just how much Scotland had to do with this decision to release the killer. Do they deserve to be boycotted?

There are basically two key points that have played a role in the decision to send Abdel Basser Ali al-Megrahi home.

He is dying of prostate cancer. All sources including medical are sure that he hasn't a chance of surviving. So why keep him locked up? He is going to die so let him go home. This is termed throughout the article as "compassion."

Of course the use of that term inflames people who want to boycott Scotland because this person had no compassion for the people on the plane.

The way that most people are threatening to boycott Scotland is to refuse to take their regular vacation trip there.

Also, there is some concern that the Scotland "Lockerbie Killer" was the right person convicted.

There was supposedly a lot of circumstantial evidence and those who were witnesses had a lot to gain economically to convict him.

What do we make of this event?

I don't buy any of it.

Muammar Qaddafi has been trying to get Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi released.

The United States has begun to bond with him. In fact Obama has made a point of being very friendly with Qaadafi.

Tourism helping Iceland weather their perfect storm

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:34:00 +0000

If you think the recession in the US has been dreadful, I recommend reading up on how Iceland has been coping.

This nation of just 320,000 people let its banks pull the country into a total financial disaster.

Their three national banks had debt equaling over three times the countries gross domestic product.

Their government collapsed, their currency lost a third of its value, they had to take out emergency loans with the IMF, and some of their European neighbors don't want to let them into the EU until they repay their debt. Sucks to be Iceland.

But despite all this, the country still has its biggest asset - itself. The nation is gorgeous, and they are heading back to their roots to take full advantage of this.

Tourism is up 20% this year, and they are on target to welcome 600,000 people, almost twice their own population. Part of the driving force behind this increase is a substantial drop in the cost of visiting Iceland. The country was always well known for its insanely high prices - it was quite normal to be charged $16 for a glass of wine, or $150 for a short excursion.

Many of these prices have dropped by at least 30%, which still puts them on the high side of what you'd want to pay, but makes it affordable enough to pull in more tourists. The lower exchange rate has also lowered prices of air travel to Iceland, flights from many European countries are available for under $200, and even round trip tickets from the US to Reykjavik are available for under $550 (all in) on Icelandair.

I highly recommend visiting the site of their tourism board to see how much the nation has to offer. Your tourism krónur may not be able to pay off their debt, but you'll certainly help them in the right direction.

Guests More Satisfied With Hotels Around the World

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:33:00 +0000

"Was your hotel worth the money?" This was the question investigated by hotel.info, the free online hotel reservation service for over 210,000 hotels worldwide. hotel.info is analysing the over 1 million hotel ratings awarded by hotel.info booking customers from around the world in terms of the price performance of 3 and 4 star hotels. The hotel.info Hotel Value for Money Index for mid 2009 has some surprising results, in comparison with the ranking at the end of 2008.

During the economic crisis, the satisfaction of guests with the performance of the hotels in which they have stayed has risen around the world. Obviously the economic crisis has led to hotel customers believing hotels are offering greater value for money than before. The average of all ratings submitted by customers who had made bookings in the largest 20 major cities of the world has improved from 6.69 points at the end of 2008 to 7.11 points (out of a possible 10) now.

One reason could be the cheaper room prices caused by the recession, since these have fallen by an average of 8-10% since the beginning of the crisis last autumn. After all, the price is an important factor when it comes to assessing the value for money of a hotel. Another factor, however, is that the indicator seems to show that hotels go out of their way to help their guests more in times of crisis - after all, the numbers of travellers have definitely fallen. It is now much more important to fight for every individual customer, in view of the harder competitive environment.

Another interesting aspect is that while the economic crisis has caused many hoteliers to tighten their financial belts, the ensuing job cuts have in no way curtailed the hotels’ levels of customer service.

Given a global comparison, hotel guests regard hotels in Lisbon, Portugal, as providing the best value for money. The Portuguese capital, and its German counterpart, Berlin, pushed the leader from the end of 2008, Tokyo (Japan) back into third place. Major cities such as New York, Moscow and London disappointed in contrast, not even making it into the top 20. Even the major European centres of Paris, Amsterdam and Stockholm in Sweden fell from the top 20, being replaced by Madrid, Helsinki and Dubai. Last year’s UK top two, Bournemouth and Southampton, remained unchanged at the top of the tree.

In the UK, too, the hotel.info Hotel Value for Money Index has returned some unanticipated results. While the winner Bournemouth (7.78) beat competition from Coventry (storming up from 14th to 3rd), Glasgow and Portsmouth to the top spot, Birmingham, Oxford, London and Brighton recorded below-average results and are back in the bottom third of the national ranking. Obviously the hotel trade in these destinations is continuing to offer below-average value for money.

Overall, hotels in major UK cities fared only moderately well at an international level in terms of value for money. In comparison with the 7.33 average score for the major cities from all of the countries represented in the study (including Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, the USA and China), the UK result, with a value for money index rating of just 6.71, is significantly below the average country score, and is thus only one place above the bottom in a table of 15 comparable countries.

hotel.info Global Top 20 (major cities)
2009 (middle of year)
1. Lisbon 7,83
2. Berlin 7,75
3. Tokyo 7,74
4. Prague 7,73
5. Beijing 7,54
6. Budapest 7,45
7. Warsaw 7,37
8. Dublin 7,31
9. Madrid 7,29
10. Athens 7,25
11. Vienna 7,23
12. Ottawa 7,20
13. Istanbul 7,15
14. Helsinki 7,09
15. Zagreb 7,08
16. Bangkok 7,07
17. Singapore 6,88
18. Rome 6,85
19. Washington 6,56
20. Dubai 6,47
Source: traveldailynews. com

Vegas Brand Competes for Global Tourism Market

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:39:00 +0000

John Bischoff addresses the Las Vegas Hospitality Association

At the Las Vegas Hospitality Association’s (LVHA) August 20 luncheon at Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio restaurant at the Venetian, the guest speaker was John Bischoff, vice president of international brand strategy for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). Along with statistics, Bischoff covered how the LVCVA is branding Las Vegas in the international marketplace, how LVHA members can get involved, and how important it is to be flexible in these changing times.

Bischoff joined the LVCVA a year-and-a-half ago to develop the company’s international sales division and build Las Vegas into the “world’s” most desirable destination. In the 1990s, the LVCVA had eight international sales offices. In 2007, the LVCVA Board of Directors adopted a global strategy, and in 2008, the LVCVA approved 12 offices representing 75 countries around the world. Before this new brand division, the LVCVA focused on the leisure market for foreign visitation.

In each foreign office, there are three types of people: an account manager, who is the “face of Las Vegas;” a person devoted to MICE (meeting, incentive, conference, events); and a public relations person to help market the brand. All total the offices employ upwards of 50 people.

Bischoff asked the question, “Why bother to go after the international market if it’s so difficult with challenges such as homeland security, visa and passport issues, biometric identifiers, consumer confidence, currency fluctuations and exchange rates, etc.?”

His answer was, “International visitors plan their trip in advance, stay longer, and spend twice-as-much money as a domestic visitor.” He pointed out that this not only includes gaming revue, but also non-gaming expenditures such as lodging, sightseeing, shopping, food and beverages and transportation.

What is the LVCVA’s strategic vision? It’s a tired approach, brand global domination, plus specific local, in-country, and regionalized branding. Bischoff explained the LVCVA’s three tiers. The first tier is Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom, which makes up 70 percent of the international market, but it’s going down. The second tier at 20 percent and going up covers the European Union, Australia/New Zealand/Southeast Asia, South America and Russia/Eastern Europe. The third tier is the emerging markets China, Russia, India and Brazil.

The LVCVA operates off of 33.8 percent of the room tax revenue. While the visitation has been down, in 2007, Las Vegas had 39,196,000 visitors with 4.7 million international visitors making up 12 percent. In 2008, the Las Vegas-figure dropped to 37,500,000 visitors, but the international number jumped by 900,000 for an increase to 15 percent penetration.

Other efforts by the LVCVA include managing seven foreign specialized “VisitLasVegas.” Websites and introducing “Las” in front of the “Vegas Only” logo. Bischoff said not everyone knows the destination as “Vegas” and that the slogan, “What Happens In Vegas, Stays In Vegas,” doesn’t necessarily translate literally in other countries so it too needs to be massaged.

Bischoff mentioned the ways in which LVHA and tourism industry processionals in Las Vegas can get involved. People can go on sales missions, work trade shows, support fams (familiarization trips), invest in programs by offering products and services, stay in constant communication with the LVCVA and give feedback.

The LVCVA also works to get more direct flights to Las Vegas and has met with much international success especially in the United Kingdom where Virgin Air currently offers nine weekly direct flights. Beginning October 26, British Airways will debut daily direct flights offering 7,500 more seats monthly.

Bischoff summed up how his LVCVA division may accomplish its goals. “We need budget flexibility as we seek out infinite opportunities. We need to apply money where there’s an opportunity on the LVCVA’s behalf.” He also emphasized that Las Vegas needs to be both proactive and reactivate to situations that arise.

Spain's key tourism industry dips 6.1 percent

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:37:00 +0000

MADRID (AP) — Spain's key tourism industry has seen a 6.1 percent dip in summer holiday arrivals this year amid the global economic downturn, the Tourism Ministry said Friday.

Just over 6.6 million international arrivals were recorded during July, down from the same period the previous year, the ministry said in a statement.

The global recession caused a 10.3 percent drop in arrivals during the first seven months of the year — to 30.2 million tourists after a record total of 33.6 million during the same period in 2008.

Spain has for years consistently been ranked within the world's top three tourist destinations — both by arrivals and income earned — along with France and the U.S.

In late July, Spain's government approved a €1 billion ($1.42 billion) aid plan to help the tourism sector ride the economic recession.

All of Spain's traditional destinations suffered a fall in arrivals except for the capital, Madrid, which saw a 6.6 percent increase.

The largest proportion of foreign tourists came from Britain, with just over 1.6 million arrivals, ahead of France which overtook Germany, the ministry says.

The number of Britons traveling to Spain's holiday resorts — 24.5 percent of Spain's tourism — dropped by a significant 16.1 percent as a phenomenon dubbed "stay-cation" gripped the British Isles.

The southern region of Andalucia, with its historic Moorish monuments and Costa del Sol beaches, suffered the sharpest decline in visitors, with an 11 percent drop.

connections

The eastern region of Valencia was the least hard hit, with a year-on-year dip of only 0.4 percent and it was this destination that experienced a large increase in French tourism, which rose by 35 percent. French tourism to Madrid was also boosted by 23.4 percent.

Crown Prince of Brunei launches new tourist attraction in heart of capital

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:56:00 +0000

HRH Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah / Photo from bruneitourism.travel, Courtesy of Brunei Darussalam

By eTN Staff Writer | Aug 20, 2009

On August 19, 2009, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzadin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince of Brunei Darussalam, the oil-rich ancient kingdom on the rainforest-covered island of Borneo, officiated the launching ceremony of a new and significant tourism product in the heart of the centuries old Kampong Ayer (Water Village) located just across the downtown area of Brunei’s capital, Bandar Seri Begawan. The Kampong Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery (KACTG), managed by the Brunei Tourism Development Department, is the country’s latest tourism product meant to enrich the experience of visiting the famed Water Village of Brunei.

As stated by the Minister in charge of tourism in his speech, Kampong Ayer is a must-see attraction for the majority of tourists visiting Brunei, as it is its most unique treasure with centuries of recorded history and having the distinction of being the world’s largest village on stilts, with some 30,000 people living in generally comfortable circumstances across a collection of 28 villages stringed along a stretch of the Brunei river, a tidal inlet from the Brunei Bay, only minutes away by boat from the capital’s downtown areas.

Most tourists, however, do not get a chance to learn more in-depth information about the background, history, traditions, society, and arts and crafts of this extraordinary settlement, dubbed in the 16th century as the “Venice of the East” by an Italian navigator.

The KACTG has, therefore, been built to remedy this situation, offering visitors an interactive touch-screen information display, five mini galleries containing background information on Kampong Ayer from its historical origins until its present day, as well as a number of photographs and museum artifacts on display. Handicraft displays, live craft-making demonstrations, and a souvenir kiosk will allow visitors to bring back memories and mementos of their Kampong Ayer experience.

Built in the style of a grand Kampong Ayer house, and with a distinctive observation tower that will give visitors a bird’s eye view of the Water Village and its surroundings, the Kampong Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery is going to be a new landmark for Bandar Seri Begawan and a point of pride for Kampong Ayer residents.

Sairam Tourism Company

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:54:00 +0000

SAIRAM TOURISM Company is one of the leading tour-operating companies in the Republic of Uzbekistan in terms of volume and quality of services provided to the foreign tourists visiting the country. Successfully operating in the travel market since 1993 SAIRAM TOURISM specialises in inbound tourism.

The tourist product of the company is rather diversified. Besides traditionally popular cultural tours along the Great Silk Road and round Uzbekistan which include the main historical places in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Shakhrisabz, Termez, Nukus, the Ferghana Valley, the company arranges many other adventure and extreme tours: cultural, archeological, ecological, expeditions, trekking, hiking, bird-watching tours, flower watching tours, heli-skiing, mountain-ski, mountain-bike, rafting, horseback riding, camel trips, jeep safari, golf tour.

The company carefully selects the product and makes its assessment before introducing to the market, thus participating in all steps of product development – from generating ideas to designing logistical schemes of day to day operations.

The company provides individuals and groups with a high quality, full package tour services, including:

Visa support to Uzbekistan;
Accommodation in hotels and B&B’s;
Full board;
Sightseeing with multi-lingual guide;
Overland transportation by luxurious buses, minibuses, 4WDs, minivans or cars;
All airport-hotel-airport transfers;
Professional multi-lingual (English / French / German / Spanish / Italian / Japanese/ Chinese-Mandarin) escort touring guide for whole tour itinerary;
Arrangement of train tickets and air tickets for domestic flights;
Visits to museums and other tourist attractions;
Reservation of tickets for theatre and concert performances.

Three representative offices in the main tourist centers of Uzbekistan (Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva) provide for better monitoring and controlling of the quality of services.

The company has its web-site aimed at serving as information and knowledge reference point for those who are interested in traveling to Uzbekistan and the countries of the Great Silk Road. The well-structured menu enables a visitor of the company’s site to easily find different kind of information: from latest news on tourism in the Silk Road countries up to special interest articles on history, national cuisine, arts of the peoples of Uzbekistan and Central Asia. All the pages are beautifully decorated with original photos taken by hired professionals (photographers and artists).

The company employs and contracts people with various professional background. This enables the company to be competent not only in arranging tourist services but also to carry on advertising, promotion and marketing activities on the basis of modern technologies.

The permanent staff is represented by administration, tour-operators and specialists in advertising. Besides, the company involves a number of temporary employees during high season. To secure the efficiency and enjoyment of the travels the company involves qualified, knowledgeable, dedicated guides and interpreters, who speak main European and Oriental languages, such as English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese-Mandarin.

All adventure tours (heli-skiing, camel trips, trekking, biking, etc.) are escorted by technical staff with many years’ experience in this field.

We set up Silk Road Destinations brand, so we can maintain the on-line contacts with the best tourist companies of Central Asian region, thus exploiting potentialities to organize for our clients various combined tours at reasonable prices. The tours can include such countries as: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Xinjang-Uigur Autonomous Region of China.

SAIRAM TOURISM is a member of a number of professional organisations:
Association of Private Tourist Agencies of Uzbekistan ( APTA)
(independent, non-government, non-commercial voluntary public organisation created in 1998, consolidates the private tourist companies and hotels on the territory of Uzbekistan, promotes the formation of modern infrastructure of inbound and out-bound tourism in the country) – constitutor and full member

Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA)
(an association set up with the purpose of improving services provided to travelers to and from Japan, as well as developing of the travel and tourism industries through dissemination of information and encouraging cooperation among members) – Allied member

World of Destination Management Companies ( World of DMC’s)
(a non-profit, professional global network of owner-managed Destination management Companies and Professional Conference organizers in over 98 countries around the world was founded in 2007 with purpose of referring clients to DMC companies who really understand their destinations and who really could create lasting «wow» moments and memories that make incentive travel and event organization successful) – Destination Management Company

Nowadays SAIRAM TOURISM has established firm co-operation with many tourist companies in such countries as: Austria, Australia, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, etc.

Every year SAIRAM TOURISM takes part in a range of international tourist exhibitions and fairs, including ITB (Berlin), WTM (London), TTG (Rimini), Top Reza (Paris), FITUR (Madrid), JATA (Tokyo), and many others.

At present the strategy of Sairam Tourism is as follows:

To broaden the range of tourist product by introducing new routes, including the combined routes along the Great Silk Road;
To enhance the geography of its activities by establishing close business relations with potential partners in the regions where the company has traditionally worked (Western Europe, Japan, Far East) as well as in new regions (USA, Canada);
To popularize Uzbekistan as tourist destination by web-mastering the site of the company and publishing appropriate material in mass media;
To improve the quality of services by permanent monitoring and evaluation of services provided by its local partners;
To maintain flexibility of prices for the company’s product on value-for money basis.

Alaska tourism experts

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:51:00 +0000

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska's tourism industry is flat and now on a downward slide that will only get worse next year with 150,000 fewer cruise ship passengers visiting the state.

A panel of experts attending a tourism summit on Thursday at the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage said the outlook is not good.

"Next year won't be worse. It threatens to be much worse," said moderator John Tracy.

So far this year, Alaska is seeing fewer visitors, said Alaska Travel Industry Association President Ron Peck. By the end of 2009, Alaska would be seeing double-digit percentage declines from the nearly 2 million visitors in 2008, he said.

If the trend continues in 2010, the state will return to visitor levels last seen in 2004 after years of growth in the tourism industry, Peck said.

"We need to work collectively to reverse this trend," he said.

Peck said the tourism industry employs about 40,000 people in Alaska, making it one of the top three industries in the state. He blamed the downturn on the worldwide recession.

"At the end of the day, the world economy is impacting us," he said.

He encouraged the state to spend more money to market tourism in Alaska.

connections

Gov. Sean Parnell vowed to work with the Legislature and tourism industry officials in seeking solutions to the downturn.

"I understand we are in this together," he said.

Rick Erickson with Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska, pointed to the $50 head tax on cruise ship passengers passed by initiative in 2006 for why cruise ships are making fewer ports of call in Alaska. Declines in cruise ship passengers range from 13 percent in Ketchikan and Skagway to 41 percent in Sitka and Whittier, he said.

Before the initiative, it cost cruise ship lines $660 to tie up in Sitka. Now, it costs $41,000. That makes it more expensive for the Carnival Spirit to visit Sitka than Miami, he said.

"They're packing it up," Erickson said. "They want to come back. We just need to show them Alaska is open for business."

___

On the Net:

http://www.travelalaska.com/

Britain's Recession Hurts Greek Tourism

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:49:00 +0000

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek tourism revenues dropped sharply in the first half of the year, straining further the country's economy which is facing the risk of recession, central bank data showed on Tuesday.

Spending by non-residents visiting Greece shrank 14.7 percent from last year in the January to June period to 3.1 billion euros (2.6 billion pounds), the Bank of Greece said. In June, the first month of the peak summer holiday season, receipts were down 10.4 percent to 1.39 billion euros.

A slump in tourism may exacerbate the downturn in economic activity and tip the economy into its first recession since 1993. The tourism industry employs nearly one in five Greeks and is one of the country's biggest foreign currency earners along with shipping.

"June figures were in line with our expectations," Andreas Andreadis, head of the Hellenic Hotel Federation, told Reuters. "I expect the tourism industry to post a 15 percent revenue decline for the full year," he said.

Recession in Germany and the UK, the main countries of origin of the 15 million people visiting Greece each year, has hurt the industry this year.

Tourist arrivals in popular resorts such as Kefalonia and Chios dropped by up to 26 percent in the first seven months of the year, a tourism research body said. A bad start to the tourism season was partly to blame for a record jump in unemployment in May to 8.5 percent, economists said.

Despite the downturn, the 10.4 percent drop in June could be a sign that tourism may not suffer as much as was initially feared, said Dimitris Maroulis, an economist at Alpha Bank.

"This is far better than the 24 percent decline seen in May," he said. Airport arrival figures for July saw just under 2 million visitors entering the country, down 5.9 percent from last year.

Still, tourist spending in July may be far lower than arrivals figures suggest, as hotels attracted travellers with steep discounts, Andreadis estimated. "June was a relatively good month, but I expect July to be worse," he said.

The IMF, OECD and European Commission see the Greek economy, which makes up 2.5 percent of the euro zone, sliding into recession this year, posting negative growth between 0.9 and 1.7 percent. Greek GDP suffered its first annual contraction in 16 years in the second quarter.

Greece narrowly escaped falling officially into recession in the second quarter, posting a 0.3 percent growth rate compared to the first quarter, according to flash estimates. The technical definition of recession is two consecutive quarters of negative growth.

Tourism to Abu Dhabi

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:48:00 +0000

The global economic challenges were defied by Etihad Airways, which posted this month its best load factors. Despite this, its chief executive said that they might enter the hospitality industry.

In the month of July, traffic for the airline reached 616,000 passengers, reflecting a 9 percent increase in passengers compared to the same month last year and its busiest month in its history.

It was expressed by CEO James Hogan that with such demand, the Abu Dhabi airline was mulling entering the hospitality industry by creating its own hotels.

Hogan said, "The carrier aimed to make Abu Dhabi an international city and a tourism and investment centre by 2030, already forging a strong partnership with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and the Tourism Development and Investment Company."

Furthermore, a special company was also unveiled by the airline, in order to run the network of its world destinations and which works to develop and boost the tourism infrastructure of Abu Dhabi.

Sponsorship agreements with the F1, Ferrari team and the Chelsea football club of which it is the official carrier have also been signed by the carrier. The carrier has also put the F1 logo on more than 40 aircrafts to promote the championship.

Samoa overseas representations

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:37:00 +0000

Aug 16, 2009

The Samoa Tourism Authority has appointed London based Representation Plus to run its office in the UK and Ireland to increase awareness of Samoa as a tourist destination and visitor numbers from the UK and Ireland.

Commenting on the appointment, Matatamalii Sonja Hunter, Chief Executive Officer, Samoa Tourism Authority said: "We aim to boost the image of Samoa and increase product knowledge of our destination in the UK & Ireland by developing a closer working relationship with the UK & Irish travel trade. We believe Representation Plus is the ideal partner in helping us to achieve our goals and increase our visitor figures in the future."

"Samoa has seen its UK figures drop since its presence in the UK as part of The South Pacific Regional Campaign ended. Therefore we want to establish Samoa as a leading tourist destination in the Pacific region in its own right," concluded Hunter.

Alison Cryer, Managing Director of Representation Plus commented, "We are hugely excited to be working with the Samoa Tourism Authority again and look forward to re-introducing this incredible destination to the market. Samoa and it's neighbouring islands are breathtakingly beautiful and offer a diverse product for the UK tourist, from picture perfect beaches for weddings and honeymoons to dramatic landscapes ideal for the adventure enthusiast."

The UK marketing activities will include a balanced mix of travel trade support, training and joint promotions, with proactive press and PR activities targeting the consumer through lifestyle and social media.

Samoa Tourism Authority has also appointed Los Angeles based Myriad Marketing as Market Representatives for North America as part of ongoing marketing efforts to enhance the profile of Samoa as a holiday destination in key source markets.

Lucas Radebe appointed 2010 tourism ambassador

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:02:00 +0000

South African soccer star Lucas Radebe has been appointed as SA Tourism's "2010 Ambassador to the World", tasked to promote the country ahead of the World Cup kick-off next year.

The Chief: Lucas Radebe

The announcement was made by Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk at an event in Johannesburg on Thursday evening.

A statement issued by the ministry on Wednesday quoted Van Schalkwyk as saying tourism in South Africa was privileged to have a footballer of Radebe's stature and calibre "to partner with us to grow excitement" about the looming international event.

"We look forward to working with him as 2010 approaches to spread the message of the anticipation and optimism sweeping our country," he said.

The Soweto-born Radebe, who made his international soccer debut for South Africa in 1992, and was capped 70 times, went on to an illustrious career with English club Leeds United, which he captained from 1998 to 2002.

Radebe retired from football in 2005.

Better Be Business Wired.

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:01:00 +0000

Research and Markets: Latest South African Tourism Report Now Available as the World Cup is Just around the Corner

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e14e6d/south_africa_touri) has announced the addition of the "South Africa Tourism Report Q3 2009" report to their offering.

The South Africa Tourism Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, tourism associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on South Africa's tourism industry

Tourism Overview

In 2008, the growth rate in foreign tourist arrivals continued to slow compared with that recorded in the previous two years, with arrivals up 5.5% year-on-year (y-o-y) to almost 9.6mn. Although the most recent data are for just January 2009, there is continuing evidence of weakness in foreign tourist arrivals from important source markets. Indeed, only arrivals from Africa recorded positive growth (up 10% y-o-y), with every other region showing declines in visitor numbers y-o-y. Of note, Europe and North America recorded falls in arrivals of nearly 13% and 7% y-o-y, respectively; while visitors from the UK and Germany fell over 8% and 20% y-o-y, respectively. Overall, foreign tourist arrivals were up a modest 5% y-o-y in the first month of 2009.

Hospitality

We anticipate that the hospitality sector will experience a poor year in 2009, with latest figures suggesting noticeable weakness. The most recent data are for Q109 (preliminary data only) and show that the total number of foreign and domestic tourist room nights in all accommodation establishments decreased a marked 9.5% compared with the first quarter of 2008. This compares with a 17% y-o-y increase in the total number of tourist room nights recorded in Q108.

Forecast Scenario

Despite negative annual growth in foreign tourist arrivals from all regions except Africa in Q109, BMI maintains that total arrivals will increase slightly this year (highlighting the relative importance of Africa to South African tourism but noting caution over data on visitors from Zimbabwe). The weak outlook for 2009 is underpinned by further downward revisions to our economic forecasts in major source markets. On a more positive note, short-term weakness of the South African rand against the euro and the US dollar should help support the competitiveness of the tourism industry. Additionally, the risk of crossborder contamination from a cholera epidemic emanating from Zimbabwe has decreased, with the epidemic apparently having passed its peak. In 2010 we expect growth in tourist arrivals and tourism receipts to pick up sharply, as the country hosts the FIFA World Cup and economic recovery takes place in key source markets.

2010 FIFA World Cup

In a press conference in May, the South African authorities confirmed that all airports being upgraded for the 2010 World Cup would be ready. FIFA is also closely monitoring the outbreak of the H1N1 virus (swine flu), although South Africa has no reported cases of the virus (as of 8 June 2009). The FIFA Confederations Cup, which takes place a year before the World Cup and is used as a dress rehearsal for the main event, takes place in South Africa in June. This will be an important test of how prepared the country is for the World Cup.

Sun International

In its business update for the nine months to March 2009, South African hotel and casino company Sun International achieved overall revenue growth of 6% compared with the same period a year earlier (although trading conditions for the quarter to March continued to deteriorate). Casino and room revenues grew 6% and 7% y-o-y, respectively, in the nine-month period. The average room occupancy rate for the first three months of 2009 stood at 71%, down 7% on the corresponding period of 2008. The short-term outlook for the group's casinos in South Africa remains subdued.

Key Topics Covered:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

SWOT ANALYSIS

INDUSTRY FORECAST SCENARIO

MARKET OVERVIEW - TRAVEL

MARKET OVERVIEW - HOSPITALITY

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT RATINGS

SPECIAL REPORT: CRIME

CURRENCY FORECAST

GLOBAL ASSUMPTIONS

COMPANY PROFILES

BMI FORECAST MODELLING

Companies Mentioned:

South African Airways (Pty) Ltd (SAA)
Sun International
Southern Sun

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e14e6d/south_africa_touri

Down economy means tourism suffering statewide

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:00:00 +0000

Everybody knows that visitation numbers are down for Southern Nevada.

When the economy tanked, people took a conservative approach, removed their traveling shoes and took “staycations.”

Through May, 2009 visitor volume in Southern Nevada was down 6.9 percent to 15.2 million people with convention attendance off 28.6 percent to 2.3 million.

As a result, resorts were forced to become more aggressive in attracting customers, and they slashed room rates. Although the decline in average daily room rates has spurred traffic, revenue has fallen dramatically.

Average daily room rates are down 27 percent from 2008 levels to $97.23. That means room tax receipts are off.

On top of that, gaming tax revenue is down as travelers who gamble have been more reluctant to spend on entertainment. As of May gaming revenue in Clark County is down 13.2 percent for the year to $3.8 billion.

That’s the story for Las Vegas, one of the world’s top resort destinations. But how are things going for the rest of the state, where the tourism industry is a matter of survival?

In general, the news is bad. But there were a few surprises offered by a quarterly tourism report compiled recently by the Nevada Tourism Commission.

Visitor volume and convention traffic are as bad, if not worse, in other parts of the state.

For the first quarter, visitor volume statewide was off 11.7 percent to 11.4 million. Of that, 8.8 million were visitors to Las Vegas. In Washoe County, visitation was off 12.7 percent to 957,638 and in all other counties statewide, visitation was down an astonishing 30.5 percent to 663,000.

Although convention attendance is bad in Las Vegas — for the quarter, it was off 29 percent — it was surprisingly vibrant in Washoe County and the rural counties. Washoe County’s convention traffic was up 66.5 percent to 91,712 people, and in all other counties, it was up 37.7 percent to 72,492.

A good chunk of Washoe County’s success was UNR hosting the Western Athletic Conference basketball tournament in March.

Occupancy rates, normally in the high 80s or low 90s by percentage in Clark County, had a fairly steep downturn in 2009’s first quarter. Las Vegas was at 80.5 percent, 7.9 percentage points off the 2008 level.

Lake Tahoe, which enjoyed a fairly good ski season, had occupancy rates of 74.4 percent, off 8.4 percentage points from the first quarter of 2008.

Washoe County, which includes some of the North Shore resorts of Lake Tahoe, had 54.2 percent occupancy, down 7.9 percentage points for the quarter. The rest of the state had 42.6 percent occupancy, down 10.7 percentage points.

Those declining occupancy rates were occurring as room inventory was going up statewide.

In Las Vegas, we had 3.4 percent more rooms to 141,119 for the quarter compared with last year. Mesquite, which saw the closure of the Oasis during the quarter, had 27.4 percent fewer rooms to 1,981. Lake Tahoe lost 9.3 percent of its capacity to 2,132 rooms. Washoe County inventory fell 0.5 percent to 17,708, but the rural counties had a 0.4 percent increase to 12,299 rooms.

That resulted in a statewide increase of 2 percent inventory, to 185,894 rooms.

But the combination of lower traffic and lower room rates resulted in lower room tax collections as well as lower gross gaming revenue.

Three-eighths of 1 percent of the room tax goes to the Tourism Commission to promote the state. Room tax revenue was down across the board with double-digit percentage declines in Clark, Washoe and Elko counties and Carson City. Worst hit was Washoe County, where room tax collections are off 21.6 percent. Clark County was off 17.6 percent, Elko 12.1 percent, and Carson City, 10.3 percent, while Douglas County (the South Shore resorts of Lake Tahoe) was down 6.7 percent and the rural counties, down only 4 percent.

Statewide, gross gaming revenue was down 14.8 percent for the quarter — about the same level as it was in Clark County (14.7 percent). The biggest losers were South Shore Lake Tahoe (down 28.5 percent) and the Strip (down 16.9 percent) with the least damage occurring in Elko County, off 4.2 percent.

McCarran International Airport isn’t the only airport in the state suffering from a decline in passenger traffic.

For the quarter, McCarran traffic was off 14.1 percent to 9.7 million passengers, the biggest contributor to the state’s 15.1 percent decline to 10.7 million passengers.

Big declines were recorded by Henderson Executive Airport (off 59.9 percent to 3,946 passengers), North Las Vegas Airport (down 36.1 percent to 17,048 passengers) and Elko Airport (down 26.8 percent to 9,302 passengers).

Reno-Tahoe International Airport had a quarterly decline of 23.9 percent to 932,507 passengers and Laughlin-Bullhead International Airport had the shallowest decline at 6.9 percent to 75,999 passengers.

The quarterly visitation statistics at state parks and nearby park attractions just outside the state had the biggest swings in usage.

Overall for the quarter, park visitation was down 5.1 percent to 3.8 million people. But some parks had double-digit percentage increases while others had double-digit percentage declines.

State parks showed a 12 percent increase in visitation to 497,340 people — an indication that some Nevada staycationers are checking out our outdoor attractions.

Death Valley National Park, a couple hours northwest of Las Vegas, showed a 12.7 percent increase in visitors to 190,783. Likewise Red Rock Canyon, just west of town, had an 8.5 percent increase in visits to 270,711.

The Hoover Dam Visitor Center, meanwhile, had a 16.2 percent decline in visitation to 166,847, and California’s Yosemite National Park was off 12.1 percent to 326,562, probably as a result of snowfall.

Other park numbers: Lake Mead National Recreation Area, down 9.8 percent to 1.3 million; Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park, down 9.7 percent to 190,783; Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park, down 7.8 percent to 590,824; Utah’s Zion National Park, down 5 percent to 295,814; and eastern Nevada’s Great Basin National Park, down 0.4 percent to 4,688 visitors.

Loving the Mob

I recently visited the Newseum, the new museum dedicated to journalism in Washington.

At the time of my visit, there was a special exhibition about the coverage of crime with displays on the exploits of the Unabomber (there was a replica of his Montana cabin), the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby, the exploits of Patricia Hearst and other high-profile cases.

And the visitors were fascinated.

That is one reason why I think the much-maligned Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement — commonly called the mob museum — has a good chance of success when the doors open in downtown Las Vegas in early 2011.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and former Nevada Gov. and Sen. Richard Bryan were on hand last week for a ceremony kicking off the renovation of the historic federal courthouse. Once the building is refurbished, artifacts and memorabilia will be gathered for display. Goodman has promised that visitors will be booked and fingerprinted when they arrive at the museum as part of the experience.

The rise and fall of the mob was a part of the Las Vegas story and to ignore that would be a denial of our history. Although many people lament the rooting out of the mob and subsequent arrival of corporations to run casinos, the end result is a bigger — and safer — Las Vegas.

Goodman said the goal of the museum is not to glorify the influence of organized crime but to tell the story of its role in the development of our city.

And that will be fascinating to thousands of visitors.

Richard N. Velotta covers tourism, technology and small business for In Business Las Vegas and its sister publication, the Las Vegas Sun. He can be reached at 259-4061 or at rick.velotta@lasvegassun.com.

Sparks: City creates tourism, marketing fund

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 02:59:00 +0000

Sparks city government is creating a new tourism and marketing fund in the city.

The fund will allow Sparks to account for payments used to promote tourism in the city, along with capital improvements and work in redevelopment areas. The tourism and marketing fund will allow the city to funnel room tax revenues more directly from the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority to special events. These include Hot August Nights and the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off.

The money used to be put into a city redevelopment account, making it harder to track.

In March, the visitors authority said it had given the city's tourism and marketing committee $436,000 too much over three years. Both parties said the overpayment happened because of an accounting oversight. Sparks is repaying the money.

Sparks finance director Tom Minton said the creation of the fund is simply to make the process more transparent, not because of the overpayment issue.

In other business this week, the council:

Accepted the donation of two used Regional Transportation Commission transit buses. Councilman and RTC Vice Chairman Ron Smith proposed that the RTC donate two surplus buses to the city.

The buses will be used for a variety of functions, including shuttling people to and from special events, field trips with elected officials and dignitaries and for emergencies. City employees will receive training to drive the buses. The annual cost to maintain the buses is approximately $16,000, with an initial cost of about $12,000.

Approved a $35,000 sponsorship to fund the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada. EDAWN promotes the region for economic and business development.

Confirmed the appointment of Doug Voelz to the Regional Planning Commission for a term through June 30, 2012.

Confirmed Mayor Geno Martini's appointment to the Regional Planning Governing Board through June 30, 2012, and Councilman Mike Carrigan's appointment through June 30, 2011.

Also, Martini presented incoming Reed High School senior Jenelle Yee with a commendation for being awarded the 2009 Alexander Hamilton Citizenship Achievement Award. The award is given to tomorrow's leaders by the Alexander Hamilton Friends Association.

Martini presented a proclamation recognizing Kindness Day, sponsored by the Summit in an effort to promote kindness in Sparks and throughout the Truckee Meadows. The Summit distributed 20,000 "Karma Cards" to people in the region for performing kind deeds.

Tourism in state and county

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:03:00 +0000

Tourism remains a leading industry in state and county

by Staff Report

5 hrs ago | 98 views | 0 | |

Frank and Peggy of Athens, Ga. gander at a map to find their next destination while they’re visiting in Mount Airy.

Tourism remains one of the leading industries in North Carolina and Surry County, according to an economic impact study that shows the tourism brought $87 million to Surry County in 2008, an increase of 4.4 percent from 2007.

Surry County also rose from ranking 40th in tourism expenditures in the state to 39th.

The county’s jump in tourism numbers is a good sign of progression in a sour economy, said Valerie Oberle, the chair of the Tourism Partnership of Surry County.

“We’re thrilled that in this down economy tourism has increased, and it reinforces we are a county of great vacation experiences,” she said.

The partnership is designed to market and brand the area to bring in tourism dollars. It has been working on a campaign called “Very Surry” that is intended to draw people to the area based on the area’s southern hospitality and southern pleasures.

“We’re excited about launching the new brand and promoting tourism as a strong economic force,” Oberle said.

The Tourism Partnership is one of several tourism organizations including local tourism development authorities that are designed to capitalize on the area’s tourism.

In 2008, the travel and tourism industry directly employed more than 720 people in Surry County and it generated a payroll of $13.45 million. Statistics from the 2008 Economic Impact Of Travel On North Carolina Counties showed that in 2008 visitor spending increased to $16.9 billion, up 2.1 percent from $16.5 billion in 2008. There are 190,000 tourism-related employees in North Carolina and tourism generated a total of more than $1.3 billion tax revenues.

Visitor spending increased in 62 counties in North Carolina and tourism officials say the tourist industry is vital to the economic development efforts as well as employment to the region.

“The goal of the Mount Airy Tourism Development Authority is to bring in more visitors, who will spend more money and stay longer in our region,” Jessica Icenhour said earlier this week in a press release.

She also said that the Tourism Partnership of Surry County is working together to promote an array of events that includes: Hot Nights and Hot Cars Cruise Ins Pilot Mountain, Pilot Fest, The Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival and downtown events in Elkin, Dobson, Mount Airy and Pilot Mountain.

“Mount Airy has already greeted over 35,000 visitors in 2009 at the Mount Airy Visitors Center and will continue to welcome guests,” Icenhour said.

Niagara Falls Honeymoon

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:54:00 +0000

Arguably the most famous waterfall in the world, Niagara Falls consists of three separate waterfalls: the Horseshoe Falls (also known as the Canadian Falls), the American Falls, and the adjacent Bridal Veil Falls. It is the second largest waterfall in the world, second only to Victoria Falls in southern Africa. Imagine its power, with over 168,000 cubic meters of water falling over the crest line every minute! A breathtaking sight indeed. Attracting 14 million tourists annually, Niagara Falls straddles the Canada-US border and is shared by the cities of Niagara Falls, New York and Niagara Falls, Ontario.

As glaciers melted and retreated after the last Ice Age, land rose behind it to form ridges such as the Niagara Escarpment. It also formed today’s Lake Erie and its surrounding lowlands. The lake overflowed nearly 12,000 years ago, and Niagara Falls was born. Erosion has shifted the falls from its original location seven miles north in Lewiston.

During summer, Niagara Falls draws the highest number of visitors. After dark, floodlights illuminate both sides of it until midnight, from the Canadian side. From the American side, you can have a view of American Falls from walkways along Prospect Park or from an observation tower.

Queen Victoria Park on the Canadian side contains gardens, and platforms that offer excellent views of both the American and Horseshoe Falls. The underground walkways in the park lead to observation rooms creating an illusion of being within the falling waters. For the highest panoramic view of the falls, you can visit the observation deck of the Skylon Tower. If you look at the opposite direction from the tower, you can get a view of far-away Toronto as well.

Since 1846, the Maid of the Mist cruises have carried visitors into the whirlpools beneath the falls. The Spanish Aerocar, a cable car designed by a Spanish Engineer and built in 1916, carries passengers over the whirlpool below the falls on the Canadian side.

Niagara Falls provides detailed information on Niagara Falls, Niagara Falls Hotels, Niagara Falls Vacation Packages, Niagara Falls Attractions and more. Niagara Falls is affiliated with Cheap Niagara Falls Hotels.

Results 1 - 10 of 18 (Show All Results)

Search results by

Next >

Check-In Date:
	Your browser does not support the iframe tag. Please consider upgrading your browser.
Check-Out Date:
	Your browser does not support the iframe tag. Please consider upgrading your browser.

Rate Preference:

Room Preference:

Smoking Preference:

1. NIAGARA FALLS
114 BUFFALO AVENUE
NIAGARA FALLS, NY 14303
UNITED STATES

Distance from city center: 0.9 MI / 1.45 KM

Add Hotel To Favorites

Hotel Reservations:

1800 801 881

Indoor Pool
Whirlpool
On-site Guest Self-Laundry Facilities (washer/dryer)
Kids Eat Free
Dedicated Lounge (or 24 Hour Lounge)
Iron / Ironing Board
Coffee Maker
Health/Fitness Center On-Site
Hairdryer
More...

Take a Photo Tour

Hotel Details | Local Map | Meeting Info

2. NIAGARA FALLS - BY THE FALLS
5339 MURRAY STREET
NIAGARA FALLS, ON L2G 2J3
CANADA

Distance from city center: 3 MI / 4.83 KM

Add Hotel To Favorites

Quality Performer: Commendable

Hotel Reservations:

1800 801 881

Indoor Pool
Outdoor Pool
Whirlpool
Kids Eat Free
Dedicated Lounge (or 24 Hour Lounge)
Iron / Ironing Board
Coffee Maker
Hairdryer
A/C Public Areas
More...

Take a Photo Tour

Hotel Details | Local Map | Meeting Info

3. GRAND ISLAND (BUFFALO/NIAGARA)
100 WHITEHAVEN RD
GRAND ISLAND, NY 14072
UNITED STATES

Distance from city center: 12.49 MI / 20.1 KM

Add Hotel To Favorites

Hotel Reservations:

1800 801 881

Indoor Pool
Near Beach
Pets Allowed
Outdoor Pool
Sauna
Whirlpool
Kids Eat Free
Dedicated Lounge (or 24 Hour Lounge)
Iron / Ironing Board
More...

Take a Photo Tour

Hotel Details | Local Map | Meeting Info

4. ST. CATHARINES-NIAGARA
2 NORTH SERVICE RD
ST. CATHARINES, ON L2N4G9
CANADA

Distance from city center: 14.31 MI / 23.03 KM

Add Hotel To Favorites

Hotel Reservations:

1800 801 881

Indoor Pool
Near Beach
Outdoor Pool
Whirlpool
On-site Guest Self-Laundry Facilities (washer/dryer)
Kids Eat Free
Dedicated Lounge (or 24 Hour Lounge)
Iron / Ironing Board
Coffee Maker
More...

Take a Photo Tour

Hotel Details | Local Map | Meeting Info

5. BUFFALO-AMHERST
1881 NIAGARA FALLS BLVD
AMHERST, NY 14228-3599
UNITED STATES

Distance from city center: 16.49 MI / 26.54 KM

Add Hotel To Favorites

Quality Performer: Commendable

Hotel Reservations:

1800 801 881

Indoor Pool
Whirlpool
On-site Guest Self-Laundry Facilities (washer/dryer)
Kids Eat Free
Iron / Ironing Board
Coffee Maker
Health/Fitness Center On-Site
Hairdryer
A/C Public Areas
More...

Take a Photo Tour

Hotel Details | Local Map | Meeting Info

6. FORT ERIE/NIAGARA CONV CENTRE
1485 GARRISON ROAD
FORT ERIE, ON L2A 1P8
CANADA

Distance from city center: 18.61 MI / 29.95 KM

Add Hotel To Favorites

Quality Performer: Excellence

Hotel Reservations:

1800 801 881

Indoor Pool
Near Beach
Sauna
Whirlpool
On-site Guest Self-Laundry Facilities (washer/dryer)
Kids Eat Free
Dedicated Lounge (or 24 Hour Lounge)
Iron / Ironing Board
Coffee Maker
More...

Take a Photo Tour

Hotel Details | Local Map | Meeting Info

7. BUFFALO-DOWNTOWN
620 DELAWARE AVENUE
BUFFALO, NY 14202
UNITED STATES

Distance from city center: 20.2 MI / 32.51 KM

Add Hotel To Favorites

Quality Performer: Commendable

Hotel Reservations:

1800 801 881

Outdoor Pool
On-site Guest Self-Laundry Facilities (washer/dryer)
Dedicated Lounge (or 24 Hour Lounge)
Iron / Ironing Board
Coffee Maker
Health/Fitness Center On-Site
Hairdryer
A/C Public Areas
More...

Take a Photo Tour

Hotel Details | Local Map | Meeting Info

8. LOCKPORT
515 SOUTH TRANSIT STREET
LOCKPORT, NY 14094
UNITED STATES

Distance from city center: 21.73 MI / 34.97 KM

Add Hotel To Favorites

Hotel Reservations:

1800 801 881

Indoor Pool
Pets Allowed
On-site Guest Self-Laundry Facilities (washer/dryer)
Kids Eat Free
Dedicated Lounge (or 24 Hour Lounge)
Iron / Ironing Board
Coffee Maker
Health/Fitness Center On-Site
Hairdryer
More...

Take a Photo Tour

Hotel Details | Local Map | Meeting Info

9. BUFFALO-INTL AIRPORT
4600 GENESEE STREET
CHEEKTOWAGA, NY 14225
UNITED STATES

Distance from city center: 24.5 MI / 39.43 KM

Add Hotel To Favorites

Quality Performer: Commendable

Hotel Reservations:

1800 801 881

Pets Allowed
Outdoor Pool
Whirlpool
On-site Guest Self-Laundry Facilities (washer/dryer)
Kids Eat Free
Iron / Ironing Board
Coffee Maker
Health/Fitness Center On-Site
Hairdryer
More...

Take a Photo Tour

Hotel Details | Local Map | Meeting Info

10. NIAGARA FALLS
10111 NIAGARA FALLS BOULEVARD
NIAGARA FALLS, NY 14304
UNITED STATES

Distance from city center: 7.34 MI / 11.81 KM

Add Hotel To Favorites

Hotel Reservations:

1800 801 881

Indoor Pool
Pets Allowed
Complimentary Breakfast
On-site Guest Self-Laundry Facilities (washer/dryer)
Iron / Ironing Board
Coffee Maker
Health/Fitness Center On-Site
Hairdryer
A/C Public Areas
More...

Mountain Kinabalu

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:21:00 +0000

Mountain Kinabalu

Since 1946, Sabah's seat of government has been based at KOTA KINABALU, or KK as it's universally known. Although not pretty architecturally, it's got a buzz equal to anything outside KL with its plethora of markets, cafés and bars. Most travellers grow fond of KK, not least as its bright lights and excellent eating are gratefully received after a spell roughing it on Mount Kinabalu or at Uncle Tan's Jungle Sanctuary. Aside from the State Museum, KK's major highlight is offshore Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, whose five unspoilt islands are just ten minutes by speedboat from the city centre.

At 4093.4 meters, most people claimed that Gunung Kinabalu is the highest mountain in South East Asia. Even the British television claimed that it is the highest, quoted during the 1997 Kinabalu International Climbathon televised preview, where they've got the top three places. But what about Puncak Jaya (mostly known as Carstenz Pyramid) and Naga Pulu? Both of them in Indonesia's Irian Jaya and still in South East Asia. I know that there are misleading statements about the height Carstenz Pyramid, but I've assumed it to be 4884 meter and the height of Naga Pulu as 4862 meter. Therefore, I assumed that Gunung Kinabalu is not the highest in South East Asia.

And some people claimed that Kinabalu International Climbathon is the toughest climbathon in the world. I doubt that. Have anyone ever seen the Tahan Climbathon? How many people are injured, got lost, and even died in such a climbathon. In Malaysia alone, I think Tahan Climbathon is much tougher than the Kinabalu Climbathon.

Nevertheless, climbers to Kinabalu will still be amazed by this one of the highest and most impressive mountains in the Pacific. This mountain is an igneous intrusion, not large by some standards, but impressive in that it rises so high and all alone. The top-most part is somewhat of a plateau, with a number of pinnacles rising from the granite surface.

Gunung Kinabalu has been a major attraction in Malaysia, for people who wants to feel the adventure or just want to enjoy the cool refreshing air. Every year hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world come to Malaysia, just to go to this amazing place. It is believed that Kinabalu Park has one of the richest floras in the world.

Gunung Kinabalu is also popular for its Low's Gully. In February, 1994, a party of ten British and Hong Kong soldiers, under Lieutenant Colonel Robert Neill, attempted to penetrate the the impenetrable, forbidden place. From the beginning, the expedition was ripped apart by personality clashes, suspicion and elitism, as if the gully exerted an evil influence on the intruders from the start. What was to be an adventure of a lifetime, became a journey into hell. The villagers surrounding Mount Kinabalu believe the mysterious Low's Gully in the center of the mountain is inhabited by the spirits of their dead. It is a forbidden place they never dared enter.The few others who had dared never returned. Hemmed in by impenetrable jungle and strewn with gigantic boulders and huge waterfalls, the gully can be reached only by climbing the 14,000-foot mountain and then descending into the unknown.

For the more complete resources of information and lots of pictures about Mount Kinabalu, click here.

Height: 4093.4 meters (Highest in Malaysia, Third highest in South East Asia)

Location: Crocker Range, Kinabalu Park, Sabah

Foot: PublicWorks Department's Power Station, Kinabalu Park

Duration: 3 days

Expedition type: Lightweight backpacking

Accomodation:
No camping is allowed. Mountain hostels are provided at a minimal price, but heavily booked during festive season. Kitchen, with utensils available. Sleeping bag is also provided.

Suggested Rucsac Capacity: 40 liters

Estimated Rucsac Loading: 8-12 kg

Water Supply: Available at youth hostel

Summit temperature: 1-5 deg Celcius

To get to the foot of mountain:
Take a flight to Kota Kinabalu Sabah. (Redirect flight from Kuching International Airport, or Kuala Lumpur Internatinal Airport). From Kota Kinabalu, take a bus to Kinabalu Park. The bus leaves Kota Kinabalu at 7:30 a.m. every morning and arrives at the entrance of the Park Headquarters about two hours later.The return trip to Kota Kinabalu is at 8:00 a.m. The power station is 4 kilometers from Kinabalu Park Headquarters.

Mountain Guides:
Only licensed mountain guide allowed. Available at the Park Headquarters. Have to be booked early.

Estimated Budget (From K.L.): RM 1000

Emergency:
Every climb through the headquarters will be recorded.

Note:
All visits and climb have to be book at least 1 months in advance.

Contacts:

Sabah Parks
Lot 3, Block K, Sinsuran Complex
P.O. Box 10626
88806 Kota Kinabalu
Sabah, Malaysia
Tel: 60-88 211881, 211652, 212719
Fax: 60-88 221001

Ratings
Physical	Light Fit
View	Poor Excellent
Conservation	Polluted Unspoilt
Accessibility	Accessible Inaccessible
Technical	Low High
OVERALL	Poor E xcellent

Malaysia Tourism

noreply@blogger.com (Kazuya Garo) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:38:00 +0000

Welcome to

Mountain Forays Malaysia

This website is intended to provide useful information on mountain climbing in Malaysia, promote low impact climbing as well as to help conserve our precious tropical rainforest, which as we all know, is disappearing by the minute.
As for now, all of the mountains featured here are situated in the Malay Peninsular. From time to time, I'll be adding my recent trips to this homepage. I would also appreciate contributors who would like to contribute ideas, tips, knowledge as well as experience. I'll put everything up in this website, as long as it's beneficial to everyone. Some pages of this website such as the web board are linked to Gunung online, the first website dedicated to promote mountain climbing in Malaysia which also happened to have inspired me to create this website of my own.
I hope this website achieves it's aim, and hope we'll be climbing more mountains in the future. Check here often for latest updates, and happy climbing.

The Tips Page

Here you'll find useful tips I personally apply and use when I'm in the jungle . Some of the tips here are originally my own, which I have observed and noted, and some were learnt from other people. Hope you will pass on the information presented here so that more can enjoy the outdoors more.

Clothing

- Try to avoid cotton at all costs. Cotton is fine for walking in the city, but in the jungle, where it rains and where humidity is 98 % almost all the time, you'll have problems putting dry clothes on. Try to bring and wear synthetics, such as nylon, polyester or wool clothing while trekking as well as while in camp. They will absorb less moisture and dry quickly. Don't believe me? Check out clothes worn by sportsmen ( those who sweat buckets) and see what they're made of. I usually wear imitation football jerseys with a single layer nylon trek bottom while trekking. Bathe in them after the long day, hang them up to dry, and they'll be dry and smelling nice by morning.

- Bring a sarong along. It is not only useful as a clothe piece, but can also be your changing room, fly swatter , blanket , towel, pillow, emergency stretcher, etc, etc, etc.

- If you think your boots are giving you blisters, try wearing two pairs of socks. One pair should be thin and slippery, maybe like those worn to the office. Wear it under a thicker pair of socks, which will provide the cushioning. The two socks will slip between them, and save your feet from blisters. I have tried them, and they sometimes work.

- Bring a warm hat. Most people don't realize that about 70 % of the heat lost by the body is from the head. If your toes are cold, wear a warm hat.

- In cold weather, bring many layers of warm clothes, not one thick jacket. This way, you can remove / add on layers depending on the temperature. My typical cold weather clothing consists of :(upper body) one polyester long sleeved shirt, one Polartec 200 bipolar fleece (as an insulator), and an al-cheapo tightly woven nylon shell (as a wind shell). For my legs, it is usually a pair of tights (insulation) and a nylon pant over it.

- Sleeping bags don't have to be thick, if you sleep with your warm clothes on. Many people I noticed, take off their jackets as they slip into their sleeping bags.

- Keep some kind of jacket near the top of your pack, incase you get chilly during that lunch break, or when waiting for your turn .

- Avoid bringing big thick towels, as you won't be bathing much. I just bring a small hand towel, which is just about enough to dry myself. Those who're really into saving weight can consider using the sarong as a towel. The same goes to toiletries. Put shampoo into 35 mm film containers, and cut soap bars into smaller chunks. Share toothpaste and mirrors.

- If you are using leather boots, make sure that you take good care of them. Make sure you apply some leather preserver/waterproofer/mink oil after every time you wash your boots. You should also wash your boots after every backpacking trips, as the soil found here in Malaysia can sometimes be slightly acidic and will spoil your boots if left on too long.

Equipment

- Always bring an umbrella, if you're expecting rain !! Don't bother with rain coats, because you'll get wet with sweat anyway if you wear it during hiking. An umbrella sure helps a lot when you're in camp. It is also more comfortable to sit under an umbrella, while waiting for the rain to stop. Try it.

- If you're bringing water containers for water for the peak, consider getting yourself a MSR Dromedary bag. It is a waterproof Cordura bag, and is sort of indestructible. They come in different capacities . When not in use, they just roll up and take almost no weight and space.

- The first thing you should do when you reach camp is to set up your tent/flysheet. Resist the temptation to take a dip or cook first. Ever noticed how it conveniently rains just as you've laid all your dry clothes and emptied your bag's contents or when you're halfway through your instant noodles..........

- Sleeping under a flysheet is better than sleeping under a tent. Tents are heavy, expensive, claustrophobic, sometimes hot , difficult to get in and out of, and you can't cook in them . Instead, buy some lightweight waterproof nylon or PE , sew the corners and attach 4 grommets on each side. Rig it up in the usual "A" way, and you should have a fairly comfortable place to spend the night. Don't pitch it too high up, because if it rains, the rain water will splash under the flysheet .

- Always bring a clothesline .The next thing to do after pitching up your flysheet is to tie the clothes line, and announce it to everyone . Make sure it is not too close to where you'll be hanging around, otherwise you'll be mingling with allsorts of weird and scary insects . Some people just LOVE to hang their clothes on the guy lines holding up the flysheet. When the weather is fine, well, fine..... But if it happens to rain in the middle of the night, the clothes will absorb water, get heavy, and together with some wind, rip the grommets off your flysheet . Imagine waking up at 3 am , in a storm ,with the flysheet flapping away like a loose sail..... seen that, done that.

- Rafia string is one of the most useful things to bring camping, and you should at least have a few meters spare for emergency uses. It's cheap, light, and damn useful, but make sure you carry the used rafia back out. I have seen too many places littered with used rafia, all waiting to catch your leg and make you trip. It also looks horrible too. I personally don't use rafia, because even though they're cheap, they still cost money, and the tendency to litter the campground with them is quite high. Instead, I buy nylon cord, about 3 mm dia. Cut them in various lengths, say 5 pcs of 3 m , 4 pcs of 6 m , etc. Dump them in a stuff sack together with some stronger rope, about 6-8 mm maybe, and that's probably all you need to rig up your fly sheet, tie up the clothes line, and for emergency uses. They're more expensive than rafia, but they last much longer, and you'll sometimes appreciate the added strength they offer . Plus, because they cost much more, you won't be leaving them after using them. Try to get bright colors, so that you don't trip or cut your neck when they're tied up.

- Use a hydration bladder to hydrate yourself instead of using a water bottle. Water bottles are hard to access, and have covers which can be lost easily. By using a hydration bag, you'll find it easier to hydrate yourself while trekking. Just fill it up and place it under the top cover of your bag. The only problem is that you'll have a tough time cleaning the mold from the inside of the bag if you put other liquids than plain water in the bag.

- Trekking poles are very useful. They help you keep your balance, help you cross rivers, give some extra push when climbing steep slopes, saves some of your knees on the way down and can be used to push foliage/unwanted things . They can also be used to rig up you fly sheet. However, not many people use trekking poles, and if you use them, people will sometimes give you that " This guy must be joking....There's no snow here" look. Just bear it........

Food

- Bring light food which is high in energy. Go for grains like rice, wheat and oats. Try not to bring instant food, as most of them are loaded with preservatives and after a few mouthfuls, might not taste too good. Eggs, bread, cheese, mayonnaise, keropok ikan, instant cucur udang or instant pancakes, sup pucuk, sambal ikan bilis (cooked at home) and serunding are just a few examples.

- No matter how much food you bring, always have at least 3 packets of Maggie mee.

- While trekking, it is not advisable to stop and cook lunch, instead cook what you intend to have for lunch in the morning, before you break camp. Another option is to bring biscuits or granola bars.

- Always bring your OWN food. Never let your friends carry your food, especially your snacks, which you intend to eat along the trail.

- Try to avoid drinking tea and coffee , because both are diuretics and make you loose more water from the body. Instead, go for Milo or Horlicks, which have more nutrition in them. While trekking, adding powdered glucose or other powdered flavored drinks to plain water is much better than drinking plain water. Better still, drink sports drinks like 100 Plus or Isomax.

- I believe the river water in Malaysia is safe to drink, well at least , around the mountains . I have never seen anyone filter or treat their drinking water. I myself have been drinking water straight from the rivers ever since I began climbing, and so far nothing bad has happened.......yet

Training

- I used to trek without any training, and it is possible to accomplish the journey, but you might suffer more than you should. After a few mountains, I tried training prior to the trip and it really helped a lot. I didn't feel so tired at the end of the day, I didn't have that stiff leg - duck kind of walk the next few days. You don't have to spend hours a day training, just 45 minutes (minimum) of some aerobic activity (e.g. jogging, swimming or cycling) is enough. But you have to do it not less than 3 times a week. Slowly build up your stamina and fitness, don't jump right into it. Make sure you have proper shoes , as they might cause knee, ankle, tendon or ligament problems. A heart rate monitor is the best tool to help you train effectively, as sometimes you go jogging for 3 hours, but only spend 30 minutes in your effective heart rate zone. If you want to train effectively, you should know your effective heart rate zone, which is explained below.
To calculate your effective heart rate zone, you have to multiply your max heart rate with the range you want to train in (refer table below). The two numbers are your upper and lower limit, i.e. the range which your heart should be beating per minute . To calculate you max heart rate, take 220 minus your age An easier way would be to use an online heart rate calculator, which is available at the bottom of this page - http://www.kanbike.org/pages/heart.php
My weekly schedule would be jogging (about 8-12 km) on Mondays and Wednesdays, with some light activity ( rock climbing / fishing) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Fridays would be an off day or maybe I'd go cycling. Saturday or Sunday would be a long training such as a 4-6 hour hike or bike ride. If you're planning to climb a mountain, trekking with a heavy backpack would be beneficial.
Since moving to Langkawi , I haven't been able to adhere to my normal training schedule, something which I really regret.

The below paragraphs are taken from "http://www.millenitek.co.za/Heartexer"

"Heart rate and exercise

There is a direct correlation between your effort and your heart rate. As you exercise harder, your heart rate will increase in an almost direct proportion to your exertion intensity. As you slow down, your heart rate will drop.
Your resting heart rate is a excellent indicator of health and can be tracked on a daily basis. The onset of a common cold or overtraining will raise your resting heart rate. If your fitness level increase your resting heart rate will also indicate this by decreasing.
Knowing which heart rate zone you're in will make your workouts more efficient. In addition, you may find that you're working too hard for the goal you want to achieve. Many people exercise to hard when all they want to do is lose weight. They should be in Zone 2 or Zone 3, but they're obviously much higher during their workouts. This puts them at a much greater risk of injury which can deter them from exercising again.
People also take their pulse at their wrist to measure their heart rate, which is a highly inaccurate way to measure heart rate. Using a heart rate monitor is the most accurate way to tell which zone you're in at any time during a workout.

Zone	Zone name	% of Max HR	Benefit
1	Low intensity	50%-60%	Good for beginners, builds cardio foundation
2	Weight control	60%-70%	Easy, burns lots of fat, good for recovery
3	Aerobic	70%-80%	Improves cardio strength
4	Anaerobic	80%-90%	Improves endurance
5	Maximal	90%-100%	Improves athletic performance

Heart rate and health

You can use your heart rate monitor for relaxation as well as for exercise. Deep breathing exercises and resting lower your heart rate significantly.
One of the best indicators of health is tracking your resting heart rate. This is taken just as you wake up and are still lying in bed. As your fitness level increases, your resting heart rate will go down. Many people measure their resting heart rate every day to see how they're doing. If you're overtraining , your resting heart rate will jump up a few beats per minute and you know to take it easy that day.
Another measure of health is your recovery heart rate. This is best measured after the same type of workout under the same conditions. As your fitness level increases, your recovery rate will also increase because your body is getting used to that workout. It is important to compare equivalent exercises and to keep the measurements as consistent to each other as possible. "

malay tourism

Coast tourism struggles through summer

Tourism Campaign Pushes 67 Days Of Smiles

Miss Bahamas Tourism Queen, Tiara Cooper listed among the Favorites for International Title

Florida Tourism

Tourism executives look for ways to stretch marketing dollars and lure groups

Wage freeze, tourism spending key items on Fort Smith agenda

"Boycott Scotland" the Latest Reaction to Lockerbie Killer Release

Tourism helping Iceland weather their perfect storm

Guests More Satisfied With Hotels Around the World

Vegas Brand Competes for Global Tourism Market

Spain's key tourism industry dips 6.1 percent

connections

Crown Prince of Brunei launches new tourist attraction in heart of capital

Related Articles

Sairam Tourism Company

Alaska tourism experts

connections

Britain's Recession Hurts Greek Tourism

Tourism to Abu Dhabi

Samoa overseas representations

Related Articles

Lucas Radebe appointed 2010 tourism ambassador

Better Be Business Wired.

Research and Markets: Latest South African Tourism Report Now Available as the World Cup is Just around the Corner

Down economy means tourism suffering statewide

Sparks: City creates tourism, marketing fund

Tourism in state and county

Niagara Falls Honeymoon

Mountain Kinabalu

Malaysia Tourism

Adult(s):	Child(ren):	Room(s):