travel industry news

The tourism authorities of Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macau held a work meeting to set promotional and marketing objectives for 2008. The three cities agreed to join forces to organize promotional activities in Korea and the US to enhance the cities’ profile as a regional with the aim to attract more overseas visitors

The bureaus will also intensify efforts to promote the Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macau tourist products in the Mainland while continuing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in other tourism aspects including employing various promotional tools and improving industry management.

acau will host the 34th National Congress of the Portuguese Association of Travel Agencies, or APAVT, this year following a memorandum of understanding signed this week at a major European travel trade fair.

Top-level tourism officials made the pitch, cashing in on the city's cultural and historical heritage, and business tourism.

As it seeks to diversify its lucrative tourism industry, which has now caught up with Hong Kong in terms of visitors, Macau tourism authorities showcased the city's offerings at the Lisbon Travel Market in Portugal this week.

The mainland's Golden Week holiday has proved a goldmine for Hong Kong and Macau traders, with most shops enjoying double-digit percentage rises in business over the corresponding period last year.

Macau is gaining ground in Mainland China’s tourism market, according to a report by China Daily. Thanks to its unbeatable tourism facilities, Macau is expected to match and even exceed mainland tourist traffic to Hong Kong.

According to Professor Dai Bin from Beijing International Studies University, mainland tourist traffic into Macau has risen 30 percent in the five years from 1999 and 2004. While this rate has slowed to 14.6 percent in the past two years, it is almost double the rate of growth recorded in Hong Kong (8.4 percent).

The Asia-Pacific region is set to become the largest regional aviation market in the world within the next three years powered by rising incomes and Asia’s unique demographics, according to travel facilitator, Abacus International. Speaking at the sixth bi-annual Abacus International Conference 2007 underway in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Mr. Don Birch, President and CEO, Abacus International said the current period of profound change and growth in the industry was a clarion call for travel agents.