July 2008

 LATA News

LATA to attend WTM - The World Travel Market the second largest travel trade show in the world - a must (10 – 13 November 2008)

 The second largest trade show in the world after the ITB in Berlin. The World Travel Market, more commonly known simply as the WTM, takes place every year November in London, and is a must for anyone within the travel industry to attend. The exhibition attracted a large number of tourism professional participants from all over the world.

The WTM is a four-day travel industry event which brings together worldwide buyers and sellers from every sector of the industry, and provides a unique opportunity for them to meet, network, negotiate, conduct business and stay abreast with the latest developments in the travel industry.

LATA Directory –2009

It is expected that the new issue of LATA directory will be printed sometimes early 2009.

The Directory will feature all LATA members and their business details including existing members and all new members.

The 2009 Directory will be a marketing tool to help LATA promote its members to worlds’ market more effectively. 

This year, LATA has already distributed more then 500 copies to potential buyers and during the international travel trade fairs.  More then 500 copies were distributed to foreign embassies in Laos and more to Lao embassies overseas.  

Laos New

Luxembourg to assist Lao Tourism industry

Luxembourg is recently became a major donor to Laos with the aiming of socio-economic development and poverty eradication. The Luxembourg government has given Laos about 75.2 billion kip to help strengthening human resources in the hospitality and tourism industry. The project’s aim is the tourism industry that is facing the rapid grow and the project runs from 2006 to 2010The fund will be used for building the Lao National Tourism and Hospitality Training Centre which will be located at Thadeau Road Km4.

Regional News

Atta delivers latest data on its members’ business

During the first half of the year, tourists travelling on travel agency arrangements dropped 1.32% according to the latest figures released by the Association of Thai Travel Agents.

Based on visitors arriving at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, the association reported its members handled  1,212,351 individual clients  from January to June 2008, a drop of 1.32% when compared with 1,228,568 during the same period last year.

For June only, clients handled dropped 2.10% with arrivals of 165,142 compared with 198,682 last year.

Business from Russia and India soared to lift these two markets to fourth and fifth in the rankings.  Clients handled from Russia increased 34.59% with 76,030 arrivals while India increased 8.55% with 68,273 arrivals.

China, Japan and Korea remain the top three markets, although China and Korea decreased 8.06% and 22.95%, with 176,261 and 119,350 arrivals, respectively. Japanese arrivals increased 11.69% to 156,326 arrivals.

UK and Taiwan, two markets dropped in the rankings to sixth and seventh on the chart, with 65,178 and 62,697 respectively. Arrivals from the UK dropped 31.24%, but Taiwan still increased by 6.18%.

Vietnam as a source market regained the ninth slot with arrivals at 36,145 representing a remarkable 206.11%.

Some other markets with minus performance were: Hong Kong -41.27%, 27,921 arrivals; Singapore -43.62%, 18,485 arrivals; Philippines -6.72%, 16,201 arrivals.

Scandinavian business also declined by 17.10% to 24,582 arrivals with Denmark down 3.58% to 6,089 arrivals and Sweden down 61.53% to 3,650. According to the association, the drop in this market was mainly due to the oil price crisis which prompted travellers to favour short-haul destinations.

Atta’s figures are based on analysis of its member companies meet and greet business at the Bangkok hub.

Data is collected at the Atta airport office based on the fees paid by members to the Airports of Thailand that are levied on every tourist arriving on a pre-arranged tour.

The data represents the most up-to date information on tourist arrivals available in Thailand.

Other news

Half UK business people say no need to meet in office

Jul 20, 2008

But doing deals over golf and food more popular than 10 years ago. The UK's business men and women are not just taking meetings ‘offline', they are taking them out of the office, onto the bus, down the pub, up the fairway, into the hotel - and even on holiday.

Research released today by Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts has shown that, while we are doing even more business than just a decade ago, we are doing it in different ways and different places.

Of 1,500 business people surveyed, 54 percent said they no longer need to be face-to-face with clients - preferring to use emails, the telephone and videoconferencing.

But - while face-to-face meetings in offices appear to be losing their popularity - meetings in less conventional places are becoming increasingly common, with one in five doing deals on public transport and a fifth continuing negotiations while on holiday. One in ten admitted to securing a business deal on Christmas Day.

Not all traditions have been jettisoned though - the number of people doing business on the golf course has more than doubled to almost 10 percent in the last decade. And a third said they'd rather conduct a meeting over a round of golf than be stuck in the office. 

Doing deals over food remains popular with three quarters conducting business over lunch. Both breakfast and dinner have become more popular over the past decade - 35 percent of business people now conduct business over an evening meal, while 21 percent are talking shop bright and early over breakfast. 

Further evidence that formality is losing its starched-collared appeal was revealed as almost a quarter said they frequently use out-of-hours social events to do business. 

"It's quite striking how quickly our working world continues to change - 1998 seems a nanosecond ago, but so much has changed in just those ten years," said Chris Hale, spokesperson for Crowne Plaza and IHG's Vice President Marketing & Communications Europe, Middle East & Africa. 

"We are all used to having quick early morning meetings over breakfast - certainly our hotels are full of business people discussing work over bacon and eggs. Whether they are talking about critical business strategies or the best way to eat a boiled egg, I really couldn't tell you.

"It's no surprise many of the formalities of meetings are disappearing. But it's also quite reassuring that in this sea of change some traditions are actually becoming more popular - signing a deal on the 19th must be as satisfying as getting a hole in one," said Hale.