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29 January 2013.indd - Travel Daily Media

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TRAVEL DAILY INDIA TRAVEL DAILY UK TRAVEL DAILY DAILY MIDDLE ME EAST SINGAPORE TRAVEL NEWS CRUISE NEWS UKwww.traveldailymedia.com/asia <strong>29</strong> <strong>January</strong> 2013 ▶ P 1≪ ASIA LEADS VISASAsia Pacifi c is found to be theworld’s most open region interms of visa regulations...READ MORE≪ FACE-TO-FACEWe chat with Rini Stoltz, Directorof Sales & Marketing at theGrand Hyatt Jakarta...READ MORE≪ EK EXPANDS IN JAPANEmirates has announcedplans to add a third Japanesedestination - Tokyo Haneda...READ MORETourism booms instable ThailandCountry exceeds arrivals target following yearwithout political problems...China drivesrecord HK arrivalsHong Kong welcomed record48.6 million internationalvisitors in 2012, as mainlandChinese arrivals caused a tourismboom in the city. The arrivalstotal was 16.0% greater than in2011, but the number of mainlandChinese visitors surged 24.2%to 34.9m - almost three-quarters(71.8%) of the total.The growth of mainland Chinesearrivals however, helped offset weakfi gures from elsewhere. Arrivals fromnew markets, including Russia, Indiaand the Middle East, fell 6.0% to956,036 while the number of visitorsfrom major long-haul markets alsofell 1.4% to 4.27m. Taiwanesearrivals dropped 2.8% to 2.01m,while other short-haul marketsincreased just 1.0% to 6.39m.Of the total arrivals to HongKong in 2012, only 23.77m (48.9%)stayed in the city overnight, althoughthis was 6.5% more than in 2011.Tourists on Bangkok’s Khao San RoadThailand recovered from severalyears of instability by welcominga record number of tourist arrivals in2012.The country exceeded its officialtarget of 21m international arrivalslast year, welcoming a total of 22.3mvisitors, up 16% year-on-year. It alsomarks an increase of more than 50%from the 14.1m arrivals achieved in2009, when Bangkok was in the gripof political protests.Suraphon Svetasreni, Governorof the Tourism Authority of Thailand(TAT), attributed the strong result tothe current peace and stability beingexperienced in the country.“We are overjoyed to haveachieved this result,” said Suraphon.“Last year, the world was generallyat peace and there were nomajor geopolitical, economic,environmental or natural disastersand no health pandemics. <strong>Travel</strong> andtourism can only flourish worldwideif the underlying conditions thatsupport it remain free of disturbanceand disruption. That is one of themost important lessons for the entireindustry to learn worldwide,” headded.The country was also boosted bythe rise of intra-regional tourism. EastAsian nations contributed more thana fifth (20.8%) of the total arrivals,while five Asia Pacific countries- Malaysia, China, Japan, SouthKorea and India - each contributedmore than one million annual visitorarrivals, while ASEAN countries aregenerating in excess of six millionarrivals, with strong double-digitgrowth from Cambodia (+59.7%),Vietnam (+24.4%), Indonesia(+21.0%), Myanmar (+17.4%) andLaos (+6.6%).The trend of emerging marketsin also noticeable in the Europeanarrivals figures. Russia is nowThailand's the largest Europeansource market, rising 25.0% to 1.3mvisitors, overtaking the UK.The TAT is targeting 24.5marrivals in 2013. Click here for fullstory.Hainan Airlines to fly to ChicagoChicagoHainan Airlines has announcedplans to launch direct flightsbetween Beijing and Chicago.From 3 September 2013, theairline will commence four weeklyflights on the route, every Tuesday,Thursday, Saturday and Sunday,using a two-class Airbus A330-200aircraft.Flights will depart the Chinesecapital at 1320, arriving at Chicago'sO'Hare airport at 1330 the same day,having crossed the International DateLine. The return service will departChicago at 1530 and arrive back intoBeijing at 1840 the following day.Chicago will become the third NorthAmerican destination Hainan Airlinesserves from Beijing, following Seattleand Toronto. Click here for full story.follow us onAdvertise with TDA today! Email us at advertising@traveldailyasia.comEditor-in-Chief: Mark Elliott Managing Director & Editor: Gary Marshall 101A Upper Cross Street, #11-16 People’s Park Centre, Singapore, 058358


TRAVEL DAILY INDIA TRAVEL DAILY UK TRAVEL DAILY DAILY MIDDLE ME EAST SINGAPORE TRAVEL NEWS CRUISE NEWS UKwww.traveldailymedia.com/asia<strong>29</strong> <strong>January</strong> 2013▶ P 2QUOTEQUOTEOF THE DAY“The Ministry“The of Transport UK it is of anAfghanistanimportant totally rejects marketthesefor allegationsus as it is andrequests the USthenumber embassy one and sourceUSmilitary to submitconcrete of tourists evidence.” fromEurope”OF THE DAYDr DaoudAli Najafi,Afghanistan’sMarie Minister Tan, regionalofdirector Transport for & EuropeCivilAviation, rejectsUS for Philippinesclaims thatKam Air is usingcivilian Tourism flights tosmuggle drugs.SilverNeedle plansboutique brandexpansionRiva Surya, BangkokSilverNeedle Hospitality hasannounced plans for a majorexpansion of its boutique hotel brand,the SilverNeedle Collection. Thebrand, which currently features threeproperties in Thailand and Laos,is expected to grow to at least 15properties by 2016. And on a recentvisit to Bangkok, SilverNeedle'sManaging Director & Group CEO,Iqbal Jumabhoy, said Thailandpresented significant opportunities forthe brand's expansion."Thailand especially is a keymarket for development and we areactively pursuing opportunities forhotels and resorts that are the rightfit for the SilverNeedle Collection,"Jumabhoy said.Currently the SilverNeedleCollection includes the 68-room RivaSurya in Bangkok, the 30-suite 137Pillars House in Chiang Mai and the24-room Kiridara Luang Prabang.And Jumabhoy said future additionsto the portfolio would encompass arange of styles, "from intimate retreatsembraced by nature to urban havensin the city". Click here for full story.Asia Pacific most open for visas – UNWTOAlmost half the world can access Asian countries with easy visas...Asia Pacific and the Americasare the most "open" regions interms of tourist visa requirements,a new UNWTO study has found.Based on a global evaluation ofvisa requirements, including theimplementation of visa-on-arrivaland eVisa policies, the UNWTOfound that an average 20% of theworld’s population does not requirea visa to visit an Asian destination,while 19% could obtain a visa-onarrivaland 7% an eVisa. In termsof the Americas, 31% do not needa visa, but only 8% can get visaon-arrivaland just 1% an eVisa.European destinations werefound to be the most prohibitive.Although 21% of the worldpopulation was not required avisa to enter Europe for tourismpurposes, only 6% were able toapply for a visa-on-arrival and noeVisa system was in place.“An overall restrictive visapolicy means lost opportunitiesAsia drives Le Méridien expansionNew hotel openings in theAsia Pacific region will drivethe expansion of Starwood's LeMéridien brand in 2013. Of thenine new Le Méridien hotelsopening worldwide over the next12 months, six will be in the AsiaPacific region, with two openingsin China, and others in Indonesia,India, Bangladesh and Vietnam.The expansion will commencethis week with the opening ofthe 118-room Le Méridien BaliJimbaran on 31 <strong>January</strong>. Then inMay 2013, the brand's first newChinese property, the 350-room LeMéridien Zhengzhou, will open inthe capital of Henan province.Le Méridien Zhengzhou will open in MayIn June, Le Méridien Saigonwill add 350 rooms in Ho Chi MinhCity, and a month later in July,the 300-room Le Méridien Dhakawill mark the brand's entry intoBangladesh. Finally in October2013, Le Méridien will launchtwo new Le Méridien properties;Le Méridien Jiaonan Resort,on the shores of the Yellow Seain Qingdao, and Le MéridienMahabaleshwar Resort & Spa,in the hills of the Indian state ofMaharashtra.Other new Le Méridienproperties will launch this year inAtlanta, Chicago and Cairo. Clickhere for full story.for economic growth and jobs,which tourism could bring todestinations. <strong>Travel</strong>lers regardvisas as a formality which entailsa cost. This can be a deterrent totravel if costs - whether monetaryor indirect - including distance,wait times and service, exceed acertain threshold,” said UNWTOSecretary-General, Taleb Rifai.On a global level, only 18%of the world’s population werenot required a visa at all whentravelling for tourism in 2012. Onaverage from 63% of the world’spopulation were required to obtaina traditional visa before travelling,while a further 16% were able toapply for a visa-on-arrival. Only2% of the world's population wasallowed to apply for an eVisa.The UNWTO research doesshow however, considerableprogress over recent years,reducing the amount proportionof the world's population needingfrom 77% to 63% between2008 and 2012, with significantmovement over the last two years.Since 2010, 43 destinationschanged the visa process forcitizens of at least 20 countriesfrom ‘visa required’ to either ‘novisa required’, ‘visa-on-arrival’ or‘eVisa’. Click here for full story.Afghan airline deniesdrug smugglingAfghanistan-based Kam Air hasdismissed claims it is involvedin drug smuggling as “baseless”.A report in the Wall Street Journalrevealed that the US has stoppedissuing military contracts to KamAir, following allegations that ithas been using civilian fl ights tosmuggle opium to Tajikistan. In astrong-worded statement however,Kam Air said it “categoricallydenies any involvement in suchactivity” and urged the US toproduce evidence to back up theallegations. The Afghan Ministry ofTransport & Civil Aviation also saidit “totally rejects” the US claims.New airline tolaunch in TongaThe Pacifi c island nation of Tongawill soon have a new airline.Expected to launch on 4 March2013, Real Tonga is a domesticcarrier initially operating a fl eet oftwo 17-seat Harbin Y-12 aircraft. Italso has a nine-seat BN2 Islander,19-seat DHC6 Twin Otter and a 68-seat ATR72-500 aircraft available,which will be introduced whendemand for services picks up. Theairline will operate between Tonga'sfour main islands - Vava'u, Ha'apai,Tongatapu and Eua.follow us onAdvertise with TDA today! Email us at advertising@traveldailyasia.comEditor-in-Chief: Mark Elliott Managing Director & Editor: Gary Marshall 101A Upper Cross Street, #11-16 People’s Park Centre, Singapore, 058358


TRAVEL DAILY INDIA TRAVEL DAILY UK TRAVEL DAILY DAILY MIDDLE ME EAST SINGAPORE TRAVEL NEWS CRUISE NEWS UKwww.traveldailymedia.com/asia <strong>29</strong> <strong>January</strong> 2013 ▶ P 3SPAINMadridValenciaForMICEwww.spain.info::::::: EARTH HOUR 2012 :::::::www.EasyRMS.comSaas Revenue Management SolutionsEmirates to launch Haneda flightsEmirates has announced plans tolaunch a new service to TokyoHaneda airport. Commencing on 3June 2013, the Dubai-based airlinewill offer direct daily flights to Japan’sbusiest airport, complementingits existing service to Tokyo Naritaairport.Haneda has traditionally handledthe majority of domestic flights for theJapanese capital, but following thelaunch of a new terminal and runway,it also now serves a growing numberof international flights. Last year theairport handled more than 65 millionJAL signs Russian codeshareJapan Airlines (JAL) hassigned a new codeshare withRussia's S7 Airlines. Effective 30<strong>January</strong> 2013, the two oneworldpartners will start codesharing ona selection of services betweenJapan and Russia. JAL will placeTiger returns to profitTiger Airways returnedto profit in the thirdquarter of its financialyear, registering post-taxgains of SG$2.02 million(US$1.63m).The result for thethree months ending 31December 2012 markeda return to the black forTiger, which registereda post-tax loss ofSG$17.43m in the sameperiod a year ago. The group's yearto-dateresults are also improving; forthe first three quarter of the 2012-13financial year, Tiger has now cut itslosses to SG$30.01m, compared toSG$87.92m in the year prior.“We are encouraged by theturnaround in this quarter," said KoayPeng Yen, Tiger's Group CEO. “WeChina train-buscrash kills sixcollision between a train and aA bus killed six people in northernChina yesterday. The incident occurredon Monday morning at Heihe,Heilongjiang province, when a freighttrain crashed into a passenger busat a level crossing. An unconfirmednumber of people were also injured. Aninvestigation is underway.passengers.Emirates will serveHaneda with daily flightsusing its Boeing 777-200LRaircraft, equipped with 266seats - eight in first class, 42in business class and 216 ineconomy.“Emirates has beenoperating to Japan since 2002when we introduced non-stopflights to Osaka; our commitmentcontinued when we launched flightsto Narita International Airport in 2010.We are confident that the demand interms of both passengers and cargois strong enough to warrant Emiratesoperating non-stop, daily flightsto both of Tokyo’s airports,” saidThierry Antinori, Emirates' ExecutiveVice President of Passenger SalesWorldwide.The new Dubai-Haneda servicewill also be added to Emiratescodeshare agreement with JAL.Click here for full story.its 'JL' flight code on S7's servicesconnecting Tokyo Narita airportwith the cities of Khabarovsk andVladivostok. In return, S7 will alsoplace its code on several of JAL'sdomestic routes into and out ofNarita airport.will continue to put in our best effortto keep up the group’s recoverymomentum.”Tiger's passenger revenuessurged 47.1% year-on-year on Q3 toSG$247.7m, on the back of a 47.7%jump in passenger numbers, whichexceeded 1.9m. Click here for fullstory.Tibet targets20m touristsTibet is aiming to increase its visitorarrivals to 20 million by 2015, theregion's government has said.Reported by the China <strong>Daily</strong>, theregion is aiming to almost double its2012 total, when 11m visitors travelledto Tibet, spending CNY13.2 billion(US$2.1bn). Of this total, approximately98% of visitors were Chinese.FACE TO FACERINI STOLTZDirector of Sales & Marketing, Grand Hyatt Jakarta•What are themain guest sourcemarkets for theGrand HyattJakarta, and howimportant is thedomestic Indone-sian market?The success ofthe hotel cannotbe separatedfrom its guests.Guests comingfrom Singaporeare our mainmarket at thismoment. Thisphenomenonis affected bythe close proximity, the easy travel and the pace ofeconomic growth of the country. We still look at Indonesiansas a huge market, specifi cally Indonesian families.That is why we have been developing weekend packagesin Indonesian rupiah with attractive sports, games andentertainment benefi ts included, in synergy with PlazaIndonesia entertainment and lifestyle facilities to attractthe local weekenders. Moreover, the F&B outlets at GrandHyatt Jakarta have always contributed to the increase inIndonesian guests with their innovative F&B promotions,which results in repeat visits from loyal guests. High demandof MICE and wedding groups also boosts the localbusiness in this hotel.•Are you seeing any rise in interest from Asia’s emergingmarkets, such as China?I believe not only the hotel industry is affected by theChina market but also in other industries. China hasshown its infl uence in the world economy and numerousHyatt Hotels have recently opened in China. By establishinga strong foundation in the eyes of Chinese consumers,Hyatt has become one of the preferred hotel brandsin China. Hence, wherever they travel, they want to staywith Hyatt. In Indonesia, a lot of Chinese companies areinvesting in Indonesia and this has infl uenced the localeconomy, including in the Indonesia hospitality industries.Grand Hyatt Jakarta sees the huge business opportunitywith China and we have our appointed Chinese–speakingsales person in charge for the China market.•Indonesia and Jakarta in particular, is currently seeinga huge amount of new room supply. What are you doing tokeep ahead of the competition?To keep ahead of the competition, Grand Hyatt Jakarta,from time to time, has updated the property. Recently, theguestrooms have been refurbished and the bathroomsrenovated. Other than that, we believe that our 21 yearsof authentic hospitality experience has kept Grand HyattJakarta as one of the leading fi ve-star hotels in Jakarta.•What developments can we expect from the Grand HyattJakarta over the coming months?Coming up this year, we will be remodelling our Suites.We will do it in stages and it will not stop the hotel fromoperating normally. In parallel with Hyatt Hotels & Resortsnew brand identity, Grand Hyatt Jakarta has its logorebranded. Dominated with red and grey colours, GrandHyatt Hotels worldwide and Grand Hyatt Jakarta nowhas a vibrant, modern, bold and sophisticated look whileretaining its luxurious and elegant touch.follow us onAdvertise with TDA today! Email us at advertising@traveldailyasia.comEditor-in-Chief: Mark Elliott Managing Director & Editor: Gary Marshall 101A Upper Cross Street, #11-16 People’s Park Centre, Singapore, 058358


TRAVEL DAILY INDIA TRAVEL DAILY UK TRAVEL DAILY DAILY MIDDLE ME EAST SINGAPORE TRAVEL NEWS CRUISE NEWS UKwww.traveldailymedia.com/asia <strong>29</strong> <strong>January</strong> 2013 ▶ P 4MINDFUL LIVINGin Rawee Resort &Spawww.raweewareeresort.comAir Astana profits slip in 2012EYEONAMERICAAir Astana took delivery of two Embraer E190s last yearAir Astana has reported a post-taxprofit of US$57.2 million for 2012,7% down on 2011. The Kazakhstannational carrier's total revenueincreased 16% to US$870m, but highfuel prices and a difficult first half of theyear hit the carrier's results.“The full-year proved much betterthan expected after a difficult firsthalf in which profit fell by more than80%," said Air Astana's President,Peter Foster. "In the second half,<strong>Travel</strong>port sealsScoot content<strong>Travel</strong>port has signed a newagreement with Scoot that willsee the Singapore-based low-costcarrier's fares and inventory madeavailable on the Galileo GDS. Effectiveimmediately, the deal enables Galileoconnectedagents worldwide to accessScoot’s content, while the airline hasalso selected <strong>Travel</strong>port’s e-ticketdatabase hosting service, ETDBase,to store and manage its e-ticket data,and E-ticket Interchange to managethe exchange of interline e-tickets.IN NUMBERS3Emirates is launchinga third destinationin Japan – TokyoHaneda6Starwood is planningto open six LeMeridien hotels in Asiathis year1,200China is adding anextra 1,200 trains perday during the LunarNew Year holidayperiod22,300,000The number ofinternational visitorswelcomed by Thailandin 201224,500,000Thailand’s internationalvisitor target for 2013strength of CIS markets, the strongperformance of new services to Chinaand Hong Kong, and non-fuel savingshave made up most of the differenceand offset to some extent higher fuelprices.”The airline's capacity increased14% in 2012, as it took delivery of twoAirbus A321s, one Airbus A320 andtwo Embraer E190s, while retiring itsentire fleet of Fokker 50s. Click herefor full story.Finnair chief tostep downMika VehvilainenFinnair's Chief Executive OfficerMika Vehvilainen has announcedthat he will step down from the airlinenext month, to take charge of freightcompany Cargotec. Vehvilainen hasbeen at the helm of Finnair for threeyears, during which time he startedimplementing over the airline's Asiafocusedturnaround strategy. Finnair'scurrent Chief Operating Officer, VilleIho, has been named interim CEO untila new chief executive is appointed.Celebrity chefheads to newAngsana Lang CoBobby ChinnThe new Angsana Lang Co resortin Vietnam is invited celebritychef Bobby Chinn to host an exclusiveone night only gala dinner on 6 April2013. The Vietnam-based TV chef,who hosts the World Café Asia andWorld Café Middle East shows, willpresent a modern Vietnamese-Asianfusion menu at Angsana Lang Co.Guests can book a special roompackage offering accommodation andentry to the gala dinner.Positive outlook for US hotel industryUS hospitality executives are expecting the industryto perform well in 2013, according to a new study.DLA Piper’s 2013 Hospitality Outlook Surveyrevealed that 84% of respondents describe their12-month outlook for the coming year as “bullish”, upfrom 80% in 2012. In addition, 82% of respondentssaid expect hotel asset values to rise in 2013 -considerably greater than the 47% of who said thesame in 2012. The upscale market remains the mostattractive, respondents said.US Airways seals cabin crew dealUS Airways has reached a new contract agreementwith its cabin crew. The collective bargainingagreement, struck with the Association of FlightAttendants (AFA), covers the airline’s 6,800 mainlineflight attendants based in US Airways’ three mainhub cities of Phoenix, Philadelphia and Charlotte,as well as in Washington DC. US Airways had beeninvolved in a long-running dispute with cabin crew,over the alignment of contracts for workers in different parts of the country.American seals aircraft dealAmerican Airlines has signed a new agreementwith Republic Airways involving the purchase andoperation of more than 50 domestic jet aircraft.Through the 12-year deal, Republic Airwayswill acquire 53 Embraer E-175 jets which will bebranded with the new American Eagle livery andoperated by the Republic. The move marks theextension of the relationship between American andRepublic, which already sees the Republic operate American services atChicago O’Hare airport.Holiday Inn Express expands in PhillyInterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has openeda new Holiday Inn Express hotel in Philadelphia.Located between downtown Philadelphia andhistoric Bucks County, the Holiday Inn ExpressPhiladelphia NE Bensalem underwent an extensiverenovation before being rebranded. The threestoreyhotel offers 141 rooms, all with 42-inch HDflatscreen TVs, iPod docking station and coffeemachines, while facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, fitness centreand meeting room.Oxygen spa opens in FloridaA new wellness centre has opened in Florida,offering visitors the chance to experience a rangeof fresh oxygen products. Located in Palm BeachGardens, the O2 Zone is based on the conceptof an oxygen lounge, where guests can relaxsampling pure oxygen, drinking oxygenated waterand surfing the internet on iPads. The spa alsoblends oxygen and traditional spa services such asmassages, facials and waxing, as well as vibration treatments and infraredray therapies.African tourism roadshow comes to ChinaThe African <strong>Travel</strong> & TourismAssociation (ATTA) hasannounced plans for a three-cityroadshow in China. The tourismbody will visit Beijing, Shanghai andGuangzhou from 22-28 SeptemberMelbourne toget ChengduconnectionMelbourne will soon get its firstdirect air link with the Chinesecity of Chengdu. From 28 February2013, Sichuan Airlines will commencea new direct flight between Melbourneand Chengdu, with three weekly flightsoperating on Mondays, Thursdays andSaturdays. It will become the airline'ssecond long-haul route, following therecent launch of flights to Vancouver.2013, to put African tourism suppliersin direct contact with Chinese agents,tour operators, event planners andmedia. Invitations will be sent toapproximately 50 attendees in eachcity.DID YOU KNOW…?Chinese travellers areexpected to make 3.4billion trips during the40-day Spring Festival.That’s the equivalentof every single personin Indonesia making atrip - 14 timesfollow us onAdvertise with TDA today! Email us at advertising@traveldailyasia.comEditor-in-Chief: Mark Elliott Managing Director & Editor: Gary Marshall 101A Upper Cross Street, #11-16 People’s Park Centre, Singapore, 058358


TRAVEL DAILY INDIA TRAVEL DAILY UK TRAVEL DAILY DAILY MIDDLE ME EAST SINGAPORE TRAVEL NEWS CRUISE NEWS UKwww.traveldailymedia.com/asia <strong>29</strong> <strong>January</strong> 2013 ▶ P 5Read TDA withAdobe Reader 10.1Having trouble downloading TDA? Read ourdaily e-news magazine with the latest version ofAdobe Reader – CLICK HERE to downloadedAdobe Reader 9.3 for free.China to added 1,200 daily trains for New YearChina's rail authorities will arrange an extra 1,242 more trains everyday over the course of the 40-day Lunar New Year travel season.According to a statement on the Chinese Ministry of Railways' website,an average of 5.4 million passenger journeys will be handled every dayfrom now until 6 March 2012, with a record total of 225m rail journeysexpected to taken during the course of the holiday period. In addition,China is expected to see 3.1bn long distance bus journeys during the40-day travel period.Conrad Seoul supports Special OlympicsConrad Seoul will donate one million Hilton HHonors points to theSpecial Olympics. As part of Hilton Worldwide's sponsorship ofSpecial Olympics from 2011 to 2014, 500 employees of Conrad Seoulhave signed up to the 'Spread the Word to End the Word' pledge, whichaims to eliminate the use of derogatory language toward people withdisabilities. Each signature will be worth 2,000 Hilton HHonors points, sothe total commitment will amount to one million points. These points areequivalent to up to 20 room nights at Conrad hotels.Walshe Group opens new HK officeThe Walshe Group, which represents Etihad Airways and Air Syechelles in Hong Kong, recently openeda new office in the city. The new facility, located on Lockhart Road in Hong Kong's Wanchai district, wasofficially inaugurated last week with a event attended by senior officials from Walshe and its airline partners. Asuckling pig was roasted in a traditional ceremony to mark the occasion.Pictured at the ceremony are Air Seychelles' CEO, Cramer Ball (fifth from left), Walshe Group's Director of Sales for Asia, Jeff Naylor (sixth left),Etihad Airways' Country Manager for Greater China, Remco Althuis (seventh left), Air Seychelles' GM for Corporate Affairs, Alan Renaud (sixthright), Etihad's Vice President of Commercial strategy & Planning, Willy Boulter (fifth right), plus representatives from the UAE consulate, WalsheGroup's staff and GSA staff from American Airlines.BANGKOKbyMEDIA31 <strong>January</strong>2013<strong>Travel</strong> <strong>Daily</strong> Thirsty Thursday arrives at...Ramada Hotel & SuitesJoin our outdoor BBQ party!6.30 - 9pm - Free drinks9pm onwards - Drink Discounts<strong>Travel</strong> Trade THB300 | Other Guests THB600RSVP: tt.bkk@traveldailymedia.comBring your business card! Fantastic prize draws on the night!VODKA OF FINLANDfollow us onAdvertise with TDA today! Email us at advertising@traveldailyasia.comEditor-in-Chief: Mark Elliott Managing Director & Editor: Gary Marshall 101A Upper Cross Street, #11-16 People’s Park Centre, Singapore, 058358<strong>Travel</strong> <strong>Daily</strong> Asia is a publication of <strong>Travel</strong> <strong>Daily</strong> Asia Limited (Singapore). All content is fully protected by copyright law. Written permission from the Editor-in-Chief Mark Elliott (mark@traveldailymedia.com) is required to reproduce any material.While every care has been taken in the preparation of <strong>Travel</strong> <strong>Daily</strong> Asia no liability can be accepted for errors or omissions. Content is published in good faith. Responsibility for editorial comment is taken by Mark Elliott.

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