India extends Visa on Arrival facility to four ASEAN countries

In an initiative to boost tourist traffic from Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) nations, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently announced Visa on Arrival (VoA) facility for nationals of Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The facility can be availed starting January 1, 2011.

According to a report in Economic Times, while addressing the 8th India-ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam Singh said, “We invite many more tourists from the ASEAN countries to visit India to see the splendour of its rich cultural heritage. As a concrete measure, I am happy to announce that we will extend our Visa-on-Arrival facility to the nationals of Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines and Laos with effect from January 1, 2011.”

Stressing that ASEAN was the core around which the process of economic integration of the Asia-Pacific region should be built, the Prime Minister said that India hoped to sustain nine-ten per cent growth rate in the coming years, thus offering a whole lot of trade and investment opportunities.

UNWTO Welcomes World’s One-Billionth Tourist

A British tourist visiting Madrid, Spain on 13 December has been revealed as the symbolic face of the one billion international tourists travelling in 2012.

The tourist was welcomed by the Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism of Spain, José Manuel Soria, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, and the Mayor of Madrid, Ana Botella, at an event in Madrid’s Museo del Prado, held to celebrate a record one billion international tourists in 2012.

“Today, we welcome the symbolic arrival of the one-billionth tourist,” said Mr Rifai. “The one-billionth tourist, Mrs. Dale Sheppard-Floyd from the United Kingdom, is visiting Spain for three days. During that time she will experience a new culture, meet new people, support the local economy and help to sustain the jobs of waiters, tour guides and many more working in tourism, as well as of all those whose jobs are indirectly linked to tourism such as taxi drivers, food producers or shop attendees. If we multiply this impact by one billion, we begin to understand the enormous significance of reaching this milestone.”

The celebration was held in Madrid’s Museo del Prado, the city’s most visited tourism attraction, in the presence of UNWTO representatives and Spanish tourism and private sector officials, as well as many of the museum’s daily visitors from around the world. As it is impossible to know exactly where the one-billionth tourist arrived, many countries celebrated the occasion by also welcoming tourists arriving on 13 December.

The Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism of Spain, José Manuel Soria, thanked UNWTO for choosing Spain to celebrate the official celebrations of the international campaign and stressed that “Spain is one of the world’s leading tourism destinations, where the sector represents 11% of the country’s economy.” The Minister further highlighted the importance of tourism in economic development and job creation.

Minister José Manuel Soria noted that Spain was expected to reach a record 58 million international tourist arrivals in 2012, alongside an increase in tourist receipts. The Minister recalled Spain’s intention to increase and retain its large number of tourists who visit the country to experience its diverse tourism attractions.

“Madrid City Council is happy to be hosting this symbolic act, since it strengthens the reputation of the city as one of the world’s great tourism destinations. Tourism is one of the principal drivers of Madrid’s economy. Indeed, in its current strategic plan, the Madrid Visitors & Convention Bureau aims to transform tourism into a pillar of wealth and employment creation for the city,” said the Mayor of Madrid, Ana Botella.

The event was held as part of the UNWTO campaign, One Billion Tourists: One Billion Opportunities, calling on tourists to make a difference when traveling abroad and recalling the positive impact that even the smallest actions can have if multiplied by one billion.

Outside the Prado, as well as in Madrid’s famous Plaza Mayor, tourists visiting the city became Faces of the One Billion by adding their photos to a giant mural, reminding tourists that they are part of the one billion and that all their actions count.

Air India offers promotional fares for international flights

Air India Ltd has launched special all-inclusive promotional return fares for its international destinations. “The scheme is valid for out-bound travel with immediate effect to the Far East and Near East. On sectors to the US, the UK, Europe and UAE the validity of travel will be from January 21, 2013. The sale is open for seven days,” Air India said in a statement.

The return fares, inclusive of all taxes, under this scheme are incredibly low ranging from Rs 15,999 to the UAE to just over Rs.50,000 for the US, the statement said. “For travel originating at Delhi, the fares would be higher by Rs 2,000 to all the destinations. The fares have been launched for travel on more than 15 city pairs worldwide,” it said.

Some of the fares under the scheme are: America (New York, Newark and Chicago) Rs 51,999, UK Rs 40,999, Europe (Frankfurt and Paris) Rs 35,999 and UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah) Rs 15,999.

IHG Signs New Holiday Inn Hotel in Korea

InterContinental Hotels Group has signed a new Holiday Inn hotel in Korea.

 Scheduled to open in mid-2014, the Holiday Inn Incheon Songdo will mark the entrance of the Holiday Inn brand into Incheon Songdo – South Korea’s first free economic zone – and its third Holiday Inn property in South Korea following Holiday Inn Seongbuk and Holiday Inn Gwangju.

The 202-room property is nestled within Songdo Central Park, a green oasis in the midst of the country’s first international hub city. It is situated above the Central Park subway station and other attractions within the vicinity include Muui Island, Ulwang-ri, as well as famous Korean drama sets. It will be within close proximity to the Incheon International Airport, and a 40-minute drive from the Seoul Metropolitan areas. The area will also be further enhanced with medical centres, malls and entertainment facilities, which are all in the pipeline.

Spanning 16,000 square metres, the 12-storey property will offer a variety of rooms and suites, an all-day dining restaurant, lobby lounge bar, a multi-purpose ballroom, as well as meeting and function facilities alongside business and fitness centres.

There are currently 112 Holiday Inn hotels and resorts spread across the Asia Pacific region with another 70 to come over the next three years.