A China Tour golf tournament in Chengdu, postponed after a devastating earthquake hit Sichuan on May 12, has been rescheduled for early September, organisers said on Tuesday.
The Luxehills Championship had been scheduled for early June but was called off after the 7.9 magnitude quake hit the area, killing at least 70,000.
Some of the 130,000 troops and police mobilised in the weeks following the quake began withdrawing from the southwestern province on Monday at the orders of China’s President Hu Jintao, even though millions remain homeless.
“China as a whole is encouraging people to return to the area and visit,” C.B. Fong, general manager of Luxehills International Country Club, said in a China Tour statement.
“A lot of this is driven by tourism and the media is also encouraging people to visit, so this tournament fits in well. Hopefully people will see that things are getting back to normal.
“Postponing the original event was a must, but I believed we still had to stage the event at a later date. We expect a lot of people to come …”
The tournament will now take place from Sept. 4-7 as the sixth event of this year’s China Tour. (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
All the media channels are talking about hotels in Beijing slashing their prices before the Olympics due to low booking numbers. As this is such a surprise. We knew this was going to happen and hotels were trying to wait as long as they can so the guests who paid astronomical rates to see the Olympics will not get all worked up over seeing much cheaper rates advertised for exactly the same rooms. Those that have been working in Olympic Games before have seen it again and again in each host city. When will they ever learn???
Beijing hotels slash rates
Ninemsn - Sydney,New South Wales,Australia … name or position as is common in China, said most
three-star hotels or below were cutting prices because occupancy
rates were not as high as expected. …
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Travelport GDS has signed a new agreement with TravelSky, the only GDS licenced in China to make reservations for Chinese domiciled airlines.
Under the terms of the agreement, TravelSky will implement Travelport’s Reservation Sales Solution (RSS) allowing its travel agents to seamlessly access, make reservations and issue e-tickets on a wide range of global airlines in real-time via Travelport’s Galileo GDS.
Full implementation of the Travelport RSS will not only offer enriched content and greater connectivity to travel agents, but will also allow TravelSky to perform interline e-ticketing functions for non-BSP carriers, significantly enhancing overall operational efficiencies for TravelSky travel agents, according to Huang Peng, Chief Marketing Officer, TravelSky.
The first phase of the implementation took place successfully in May enabling more than 200 Galileo-linked airlines to issue interline e-tickets with the leading Chinese airlines for which TravelSky provides reservations systems. This was in line with IATA’s mandate to achieve 100 percent e-ticketing by June 1, 2008.
Phase two of the project is scheduled for completion by the end of this year and will provide enhanced functionality such as interactive seat maps and reservations to TravelSky travel agents.
Brad Holman, President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Travelport GDS said TravelSky would be able to deliver significant service enhancements to both Chinese travel agencies and to international airlines seeking to sell their products in the rapidly growing Chinese outbound market.
TravelSky’s participation in EyeforTravel’s Travel Distribution and Sales China 2008 Conference
Travelsky’s VP – eCommerce Xue Qiang is scheduled to speak during EyeforTravel’s Travel Distribution and Sales China 2008 Conference in Beijing on 24-25 September. For information, click here: http://events.eyefortravel.com/tdchina/agenda.asp
Press release from a member of the ChinaContact Tourism Network:
Lotus Culinary Travel
Introduces cooking vacations and culinary immersions in Asia
Pioneering Culinary Travel Provider Launches China Tours
July 2008—-The first boutique tour operator in China specializing exclusively in gastronomy, Lotus Culinary Travel announces
the launch of its cooking vacations and culinary immersions in the
capitals of Asia’s regional cuisines. Teaming with local culinary
experts, Lotus makes it possible for the first time for small groups
and independent travelers to get an authentic introduction to regional
cuisine through a full range of unique food experiences.
Our
intimate, insider tours are offered most times of the year on request
for private and small groups. These three-day culinary immersions are
designed to fit into any Asia itinerary, from a weekend getaway to a
stop on a whole-Asia tour. We also arrange custom culinary tours of any
length, using only the best hotels.
Our China immersion tackles
the world’s oldest, greatest and most misunderstood cuisine. Taking the
road less traveled, we head straight for the country’s Wild West,
Sichuan province. Its capital, Chengdu, may be a well-kept travel
secret in the West but is revered in China as the most enticing food
city on the mainland.
In
Chengdu, guests will experience the region’s incomparable food culture
led by local experts and master chefs from the Sichuan Higher Institute
of Cuisine, the country’s top culinary school, and the Museum of
Sichuan Cuisine, an exquisite private collection of local culinary
history. They’ll sample the best of the region’s unique dining
styles—from “little eats” to hotpot to country cooking to banquet
feasts—and learn about the ingredients that make it special by visiting
markets, organic farms and artisan producers of quintessential Sichuan
products.
We
at Lotus Culinary are terribly saddened by the loss in Sichuan province
due to the May 12 earthquake. However we will continue with our fall
tours because the city of Chengdu itself was little damaged and because
we strongly believe that what Sichuan most needs is the quick return of
its many tourists. Travelers will find Chengdu to be the same
extraordinarily inviting city it always has been, with a culture
focused on food and leisure. Lotus Culinary Travel will donate a
percentage of tour profits to earthquake relief and, indefinitely, to
programs that assist women and girls in Sichuan.
Lotus Culinary Travel was founded in
2007 by Taylor Holliday, an arts and travel journalist who specializes
in culinary travel, in order to share her discoveries and connections
with other food-obsessed travelers. Previously Ms. Holliday spent a
decade as an arts, culture and food editor at The Wall Street Journal in New York City. Not your typical tour guides, Lotus
Culinary’s China manager, Rose Nickel, and host, Ping Wu, are
Sichuanese professionals who lived and studied in the U.S. before
returning to Chengdu to be close to the food they most love.
Interpreters of both language and culture, they are ideal guides to the
real Sichuan.
A CHINESE reality show with the potential to reach 800 million viewers, entitled Boys and Girls, is being filmed on the Gold Coast.
The show, which will air in China this year, pits two couples against each other at several Gold Coast locations.
The show, Boys and Girls, has been likened to the Australian prime-time 1980s hit Perfect Match.
During last week, contestants herded sheep, made damper and learned to surf.
Sea World dolphins presented the loved-up couples with engagement rings.
It is these romantic locations and adventures that Tourism Queensland hopes to cash in on, with the show being dubbed a “unique promotional opportunity”.
Tourism Minister Desley Boyle said images of the Gold Coast would be broadcast to millions, both in the lead-up to and after filming.
China was Queensland’s fastest growing international market in the year to March 31, with 165,000 Chinese visiting the state, up 20 per cent on the previous year.
In recognition of the rampant talent available within the Chinese population, InterContinental Hotels Group is actively targeting talented personnel within China by increasing IHG Academy locations from 12 to 22.
Two years after the inaugural IHG Academy opened in Shanghai, as an industry training institute, IHG signed partnerships with leading tourism institutions in Nanjing and Hangzhou to develop 10 new training facilities.
The expansion of IGH Academies into these regions will cater to an additional population of almost 150 million people, offering courses in hospitality related fields and potential employment within the largest international hotel operator in China.
Taiwan police are searching for three Chinese tourists who disappeared while visiting the island, the third such incidence in a month, a newspaper said Thursday.
The three Chinese women went missing Tuesday evening after they had left a hotel in Panchiao outside Taipei, telling hotel staff that they were going out to buy snacks, the China Times said.
The three, aged 34 to 40, had taken their passports with them but left their luggage in their hotel rooms.
Roy Graff, Managing Director of ChinaContact shares his insight on
opportunities in outbound Chinese tourism, the Beijing Olympics and the
upcoming WTM-ChinaContact forum in London.
In recognition of the rampant talent available within the Chinese population, InterContinental Hotels Group is actively targeting talented personnel within China by increasing IHG Academy locations from 12 to 22.
Two years after the inaugural IHG Academy opened in Shanghai, as an industry training institute, IHG signed partnerships with leading tourism institutions in Nanjing and Hangzhou to develop 10 new training facilities.
The expansion of IGH Academies into these regions will cater to an additional population of almost 150 million people, offering courses in hospitality related fields and potential employment within the largest international hotel operator in China.
With the 22 locations, the IHG Academy will have the capacity to train 4,500 students at any given time. In the past two years, approximately 2,000 IHG graduates have been offered employment across the IHG portfolio.
As an industry leader in this important market, it is our responsibility to proactively contribute to the growth and development of China’s hospitality industry,” said Edmond Ip, chief operating officer, IHG Greater China.
“Finding the right people is challenging, but it is the key to our success. As such, we are committed to delivering world-class people development initiatives and practices to enrich the local talent pool.”
Wimbledonwould
do well to prepare signposts in Chinese
for 2009
Sipping
champagne and nibbling on delicately prepared duck’s tongues guests of
Sportsworld Group in Beijing
were introduced to the most exciting and emotive tennis tournament in the
world. Executives from top business and leisure travel agencies, luxury
lifestyle media reporters and sports celebrities enjoyed a glimpse of the
fabulous hospitality Sportsworld Group have provided their clients at Wimbledon
for the last 16 years. Judging by
the reaction of the guests, this globally popular tennis tournament can expect
to receive increasing numbers of Chinese visitors and tennis fans in the coming
years.
Beijing,
China 17 July 2008:The Sportsworld “Wimbledon Championships 2009
Hospitality Package” launch event was held at the brand new 1/5th
bar in the exclusive entertainment venue called 1949 – the Hidden City in Beijing on Wednesday 16th
July. Specially invited guests included top executives of corporate travel
companies and representatives of the leading Chinese travel agencies, reporters
of lifestyle publications and sports media as well as sports personalities.
In welcoming the guests, Paul Lemon, Sportsworld China
General Manager said: “Sportsworld has been in China
since 2006 and has made a full commitment to staying in China for the
long-term. We believe there is great potential for cooperation with China’s travel
trade on outbound sports tourism products. At the same time we hope to work
together with major sports events in China
and help bring more sports fans and incentive groups to China.”
Following Mr. Lemon’s welcome speech, Roy Graff, Sportsworld Group Business Development
Director, gave a presentation of the Wimbledon Championships and Sportsworld’s
VIP Hospitality services at many of the world’s most illustrious sporting
events held around the globe. The presentation concluded with a short video of
highlights from this year’s Wimbledon Championships, including the impressive
achievement of China’s
top tennis player Zheng Jie who made it to the semi-finals by conclusively defeating
the world number one seed, Ana Ivanovic in 2 straight sets.
Following their Olympic Gold Medal in Athens in 2004 and winning the Wimbledon women’s doubles
title in 2006, the Chinese pair Yan Zi and Zheng Jie have contributed
significantly to building an impressive record on the world professional tennis
circuit for China
and thanks to their success tennis in this country is going from strength to
strength. There were 14 athletes from greater China
playing at Wimbledon this year, the biggest
Chinese participation to date. Xie Chengpeng and Yang Zhonghua of Chinese
Taipei won the boy’s doubles titles – another sign of great things to come from China.
Guests of Sportsoworld were also treated
to an exciting lucky prize draw featuring many Wimbledon
branded souvenirs. The two top prizes went to Emma Jia from
CarlsonWagonlitTravel and Steve Sun of the China Open Tennis Championships.
Each of whom won a fully inclusive hospitality package for two to Wimbledon
2009, including flights, accommodation, match tickets and use of the
Sportsworld Fairway Village hospitality suite.
Predictably, Chinese media interest in
sports events has been growing in response to Beijing hosting the 2008 Olympic Games. As an
official Olympic ticket and hospitality provider Sportsworld can provide a
unique insight into the Olympic Games and other large scale sports events
around the world.
As the event drew to a close Roy Graff remarked: “a few years ago no-one in China
knew or cared about watching tennis at Wimbledon but with Chinese athletes
reaching the top of the game more than ever before and a growing interest in
playing tennis for leisure, we have seen a shift in both awareness and
perception. This was evident from the fantastic feedback we received from the
guests at the reception and their strong desire to work with us and promote the
Wimbledon packages to their customers in China. Over the coming weeks and
months we will build on our cooperation with the top travel companies to design
suitable products that fit the Chinese market both for leisure clients and
corporate incentive groups. Sportsworld will also introduce other sports travel
packages in to the Chinese market that will give people the opportunity to
witness some of the best and most exciting sporting events in the world.”
Paul Lemon has considerable experience in the
Sports event and hospitality industry having been involved for more than 10
years with major sports events including the Wimbledon Championships, The Olympic
Games, Asian Games, A1 Grand Prix series and Rugby World Cup
Mr. Graff is
Sportsworld Group Director of Business Development for China and has been involved with
the Chinese travel and hospitality industries at senior levels for the past
seven years. He speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and has lived in China
for several years.
