28 REGION ASIA China
28 REGION ASIA China Southern Airlines is Skytrax “Most Loved Airline” in China ADVERTORIAL China Southern Airlines Vice President Marketing Helen Liu unveils the carrier’s new destinations for Spring 2017 and tells why China Southern is the favourite airline in China. We currently operate 2,000 daily flights to 208 destinations in 40 countries and regions across the world. Thanks to our cooperation with SkyTeam, our network spans 1,062 destinations in 177 countries and regions. At the end of last year, we launched new services to Adelaide and Toronto and are now ready for our new Guangzhou-Vancouver-Mexico City service on April 10. It will be the longest international service of China Southern Airlines so far, operated three times weekly by a Boeing Dreamliner B787. It will become our first destination in Latin America. We also launch Beijing-Hanoi and Shenzhen- Phnom Penh flights. What makes your airline “different”? We are the largest airline in China PRC with over 700 aircraft and a passenger volume of 115 million last year. We also have the biggest network of any airline in China. Our extensive network serves our four hubs in Guangzhou, Beijing, Urumqi and Chongqing, covering all of China but also Asia, Europe, America, Oceania & Africa. We build up the “Canton Route”, making Guangzhou an international air hub, especially between China, Australasia and South Asia. Skytrax, the world’s most prestigious airline performance e v a l u a t i o n o r g a n i s a t i o n , attributed the four-star status to China Southern Airlines. Our airline is 13th among “The Most Loved Airlines” by Skytrax, ranking first among all Chinese airlines. How will the rollout of your new A320neo aircraft be taking place? C h i n a S o u t h e r n A i r l i n e s received its first A320neo last December and will take delivery of 73 more A320neos over the next four years. In all, China Southern Airlines operates more than 700 passenger and cargo aircraft with a fleet of Boeing B787, B777, B757 & B737 and Airbus A380, A330, A321, A320 and A319s. Hall 25 / Stand 128 Helen Liu Vice President Marketing, China Southern Airlines Discovering Myanmar During the Green Season The “Green Season” is an excellent time to visit Myanmar. “Going green” is a popular topic in tourism with Myanmar Tourism Marketing now literally reinventing the topic. At ITB Berlin 2017, the country is unveiling its newest campaign: “10 reasons to visit Myanmar during the green season”. Contrary to many beliefs, rain generally comes at the end of the day, colouring landscapes into a variety of rich, green shades. “Green season”, which falls from May till September can actually be a perfect period to visit the destination. Statistics show that it rains only during 25% of all days during the “green season” in wellknown tourist attractions such as Bagan, Mandalay, the Northern Shan State, Kalaw and Inle Lake. And even if it rains, it is usually short-lived. MTM has identified 10 advantages to lure tourists to the country from May till September: • 50 shades of green (from paddy fields to forest) • Not too hot in the dry zone – not too cold in the mountains • More sustainable as it provides an income all-year around • More hours of daylight for sightseeing (early sunrise, late sunset) • No dust • Stunning landscapes GREEN SEASON IS A PERFECT TIME TO COME TO MYANMAR WITH 50 SHADES OF GREEN AND MANY PROMOTIONAL PRICES • Fruit, vegetables and other food at its best • No queues (or other tourists photo-bombing your selfie) • Greater availability of hotels, and choice of rooms or guides • Good promotions, excellent value for money To encourage even more tourists to visit Myanmar during the green season, MTM members offer additional benefits such as a free lunch to every guest IF it happens to rain for more than 1 hour during a tour. Other promotions include “stay 3 – pay 2” at hotels or “free number of luggage” on domestic airlines. During ITB Berlin, Myanmar Tourism Marketing is organising a competition to win a free trip to Myanmar. Information available at the Myanmar stand. The winner will be announced on www. facebook.com/myanmartm on April 1, 2017 Hall 26b / Stand 201 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Thursday 9 th March 2017 www.itb-berlin-news.com
ASIA REGION 29 Suman Billa Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India With a plethora of exhibitors representing India at ITB Berlin 2017, the strength-in-numbers reflects the overall vigour of India’s tourism industry. Speaking to ITB Berlin News, Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India who is leading the country’s delegation, explained how international tourism has evolved in recent years: Foreign Tourist Arrivals to India are continuing their upward trend with arrivals in 2016 (8.89million, based on provisional figures) showing a 10.7% increase over the previous year, 8.03million in 2015. This makes India one of the fastest growing tourism economies in the world. Foreign Exchange earnings also increased by 15% last year. Germany continues to be in the top ten of the tourism generating countries for India. More than 50% of your spending is on the development of tourism infrastructure. What are the most important recent developments in this respect? Focusing on the development of tourist infrastructure, the ‘Swadesh Darshan’ - Integrated Development of Theme-Based Tourist Circuits Scheme - was launched in 2014- 15. Thirteen thematic circuits have been identified for Integrated development under this scheme (for example the Himalaya Circuit, the Desert Circuit, the Buddhist Circuit etc.) Recognising the fact that Pilgrimage Tourism is one of the major drivers of India’s domestic tourism sector, the ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive’ (PRASAD) was launched by the Ministry of Tourism in January 2015 for integrated development of pilgrimage tourist destinations. 51 projects worth INR.42.67billion have been sanctioned under the ‘Swadesh Darshan’ Scheme. H o w i s t h e e - t o u r i s t v i s a programme coming along, and what have been its results so far? India enabled the e-tourist visa system in November 2014 with a few countries and now the facility is available to citizens of 161 countries. Also, the scope of the visa has been expanded to include visits for business, medical and cruise purposes, with the validity of the e-visas extended to 60 days and for two entries. The fact that more and more tourists are preferring to make use of the e-visa scheme means that more than one million visitors availed themselves of the e-visa in 2016. India’s Tourism Economy Prospers Infrastructure and thematic circuits are key to continued growth What actions are you taking this year to help the travel trade better sell your destination? The policies of the Government of India under the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi, the Honourable Prime Minister, are designed to make it easier to do business with India and in India. The Ministry of Tourism is also committed to following this policy. Accordingly, we have taken proactive steps to ease travel to India including with the new e-visa policy and also steps like the Incredible India Infoline which is a toll-free number (from within India) to help with information and also to help travellers visiting the country. What new things can we see at your stand at ITB Berlin? The large participation under the Incredible India booth will have variety of products to offer. The India Pavilion showcases the varied and beautiful architectural traditions of India. The visitors can also have a unique Virtual Reality experience of travel to India. A colourful cultural programme is planned to take place and the popular Navratri and Holi festivals will be celebrated at the India pavilion. A highlight of the programme on the public days will be Indian singing stars Lovely and Monty performing their song “Wenn Du” for the first time to the public in a new Incredible India version. The show, which will also showcase Bollywood dance, can be seen on Saturday at 2pm. What is your message to the world’s travel agents and tour operators present at ITB Berlin? Our message to all the travel industry friends is that in India we embrace the principles of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (The World is one Family) and the ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ (Guest is God) – both from the ancient Sanskrit - and that we are ready to welcome all visitors with open arms Hall 5.2b / Stands 205, 205a IN INDIA WE EMBRACE THE PRINCIPLES OF ‘VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBAKAM’ (THE WORLD IS ONE FAMILY) AND THE ‘ATITHI DEVO BHAVA’ (GUEST IS GOD) ITB BERLIN NEWS • Thursday 9 th March 2017
