World Tourism Cities Monthly

世界旅游城市资讯 (月 刊 ) Issue No.9

（2014.12.01—2014.12.31）

Address: 6th Floor of the

White Peacock Art World,

No. 3 Dongbinhelu

Deshengmenwai Street,

Xicheng District, Beijing,

P.R.China

Zip Code: 100120

Phone: 008610-65289071

E-mail: info@wtcf.org.cn

【Special Focus】……………………1

⊿ Understand cultural difference Boost tourism

development

【WTCF News】……………………3

⊿ WTCF Workshop on Tourism Marketing Information

System held in Beijing

【Tourism News】……………………5

⊿ Morocco: signed an agreement to hold Tourism

summit 2015

【City News】……………………9

⊿ Altay: 2014 China Altay International Ice& Snow Tour

【Industry News】……………………13

⊿ UTour: Chinese tourists start to escape the cold winter

【Figure Scan】……………………18

⊿ 2 million: more German tourists traveled to Greece

World Tourism Cities Federation

世界旅游城市联合会

Content

1

Understand cultural difference Boost tourism development

Travelers from mainland China have taken 100 million outbound trips for

the first time this year, officials said, with the vast majority visiting Hong

Kong, Macau and Taiwan. 90 percent of the 100 million trips were within

Asia, China National Tourism Administration has announced. President

Xi Jinping said during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in

Beijing on Nov 9 that the number of outbound tourists from China will

exceed 500 million in the next five years, according to the China Daily

news. Chinese tourists are all over the world now especially in Asia.

On December 11th

, an Air Asia FD 9101 plane was forced to return to

Bangkok after four Chinese travelers had argument with cabin crew after

they became enraged over sitting arrangements. China National Tourism

Administration said on December 13th the tourists disrupted the flight,

hurt other passengers’ benefits and “damaged the overall image of the

Chinese people.”

The tourism law of the People's Republic

of China stipulated that the tourists cannot

damage the legal benefits of tourist

practitioners even while they are solving

Special Focus

Reference: sdnews.com

2

the dispute. In this case, the local tourism bureau in Nanjing had been

directed to conduct an investigation and said any illegal activity or

violation of law will be severely punished. The incident had been

recorded on the four travelers’ permanent records.

The culture difference is one of the main reasons to cause the

misunderstanding. The budget airline does not provide drink or food

because of the low-cost on ticket fare. However many Chinese tourists do

not really know much more about it. So the acknowledge gap was

emerged. That is why the foreign tourism industry and Chinese tourists

have some misunderstanding occasionally. They should give each other

more inclusion instead of only blame.

Wang Yang, vice premier of the State

Council stated on the Fragrant Hills

Tourism Summit 2013 that the tourism is

a civilized activity to communicate with

others. The government aims to

advocating healthy and civilized travel, the domestic tourists should

observe the social and public order self-consciously. Hope to boost global

tourism development together by tourism cities to deepen the

communication.

Reference: wtcf.travel

3

According to the “Market Research Report

on Chinese outbound Tourist (city)

Consumption” released by WTCF on

Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2014, the

problems such as language barriers and

culture difference will stifle travel enthusiasm. The report could provide

better guide to the foreign tourism practitioners.

WTCF Workshop on Tourism Marketing Information System held in

Beijing

WTCF held a Workshop on the Tourism

Marketing Information System (TourMIS)

on December 15th at Beijing Hotel New

Otani Chang Fu Gong. Professor Dr. Karl

Wober, President of MODUL University Vienna and member of WTCF

Expert Committee, introduced the application and development of

TourMIS in tourism area. Li Baochun, deputy secretary general of WTCF

chaired the meeting.

WTCF News

Reference: wtcf.travel

4

Since 1984, Dr. Wober has been focusing

on tourism information technology

research. He tried to build a bridge

between experts and people who work in

tourism industry by developing TourMIS. TourMIS is now one of the

Europe’s great data systems that collect the tourism data from 150

tourism cities and 74 countries. In addition to over 230 institutional data

inputters, the system also has 20,000 registered personal inputters all over

the world to provide and modify the data input by other ones. It is a

significant way to ensure correctness like Wikipedia. TourMIS will keep

expanding in Asia, North America and so on.

WTCF attaches great importance to data application in tourism industry,

and aims to explore a future development path of the Tourism Big Data

Center via this workshop.

In the workshop, the attendance listened carefully and asked questions

frequently, and the atmosphere was very active.

5

Bulgaria: Focus on Advertisement in 2015

Bulgaria’s Tourism Minister has said that the major portion of funding in

2015 would be allocated to advertisement and measures targeting the

sustainable development of the sector. (Reference: novinite.com)

Morocco: signed an agreement to hold Tourism summit 2015

Abderrafia Zouitene, Chief Executive Officer of Moroccan National

Tourist Office and Yan Han, deputy secretary-general of World Tourism

Cities Federation (WTCF), signed an agreement to transfer the bidding of

the federation's 2015 summit to Morocco's Rabat and Fez on

Morocco-China Economic Forum in Beijing on November 28th.

(Reference: chinadaily.com)

Belgium: Tanzania targets Belgian tourists

Tanzania is looking to attract Belgian tourists and investors in prime

attractive areas, including the rich historical town of Bagamoyo along the

Indian Ocean coast. Tanzanian Ambassador to Belgium had led a group

of Belgian investors in a fact-finding mission aimed at exploring areas of

tourist visiting and investment. (Reference: eTurbo News)

Tourism News

6

Israel: prepares to hold International Mediterranean

Tourism Market

It has been confirmed that the 21st International Mediterranean Tourism

Market will return to Tel Aviv in 2015, taking place at the Israel Trade

Fair and Convention Centre on the February 10th-11th under the auspices

of the Israel Ministry of Tourism. (Reference: eTurbo News)

UK: Chinese asked to name British attractions

Now the Chinese are being invited to put names to 101 British points of

interest not yet given Chinese names as part of a £1.6 million tourist

campaign by Visit Britain. Names with an oriental flavor are needed for

such things as Beachy Head, Trooping the Color, the kilt, Kensington

Palace and the Cornish pasty. (Reference: Daily Telegraph)

Seychelles: strengthens its position in India with launch of

Air Seychelles direct flight

Seychelles Tourism Board in association with Air Seychelles along with a

delegation of private sector partners from the islands conducted a road

show in Mumbai, India, one day after the launch of the much awaited

direct flight between the two countries. (Reference: Travel News)

7

UAE: welcome Indian tourist visa on arrival

Responding to the news about Indian tourist visa on arrival service for

Emiratis, which was implemented on December 4th, Emiratis say that the

move will see more youngsters from the UAE flying to India.

(Reference: KhaleejTimes)

New Zealand: voted best tourist destination

In the 2014 Telegraph Travel Awards, New Zealand was voted the top

country, for the third year in a row. Almost 90,000 people responded to

the survey, making it the biggest survey of its kind. New Zealand headed

off the Maldives and South Africa to win the “favorite country” category.

New Zealand also won the category in 2012 and 2013. (Reference: eTurbo News)

Canada: strengthen tourism industry in 2015

Canada's tourism industry will strengthen in 2015 as an increased number

of visitors attend major international sporting events held across the

country and global economic conditions continue to improve, according

to The Conference Board of Canada's Travel Markets Outlook: Autumn

2014. (Reference: nationtalk.ca)

8

Australia: Page 'Most Popular' On Instagram With Over 1

Million Followers

Australia is now officially the most Instagram friendly nation in the

website. The Tourism Australia page just amassed over 1 million

followers to date. In comparison, New York City’s official account has

just 16,000 followers and Canada clocks in at only 137,000.

(Reference: stylecaster.com)

Finland: Interested in Sri Lanka's potential for Investment

The Finnish delegation visited Sri Lanka and expressed interest in Sri

Lanka’s Trade and Investment policy and particularly on the Free Trade

Agreements that Sri Lanka has entered with both India and Pakistan. The

Finnish delegation also informed that they would help find matching

partners in Finland for Sri Lankan companies, indicating that there is

considerable potential in the tourism sector. (Reference: news.lk)

Thailand: 2015 could be another tough year for tourism

Thai tourism industry is expected to face another tough year, judging

from a slow economic recovery in key markets. The ministry is ready to

run a one-year plan to reconstruct the industry and line up fundamentals

for long-term growth. (Reference: eTurbo News)

9

Cairo: Nile river taxis will be the potential new tourism attraction

Nile river taxis may become a new tourist attraction

in Egypt's capital, Cairo. The river taxi will stop at

10 stations, with each journey taking 45 minutes,

compared to a minimum of one hour by car. The

government prepares to launch the project by

January 2015. (Reference: eTurbo News)

Altay: 2014 China Altay International Ice & Snow Tour

Altay will hold an opening ceremony of

the 4th China Altay International Ice &

Snow Tour on December 28th in General

Mountain Ski. There are many splendid

performances including Paragliding and Fire Dragon Dance will perform

on the ceremony. (Reference: Altay tourism)

Valletta: Spending Christmas at the

Waterfront

The Valletta Waterfront turns into a

City News

10

Christmas village from November 29th with a mix of music, food and

activities taking place. A Christmas tree will be set up and there will be

bands, choirs, cribs, stalls and a Santa’s workshop.

(Reference: timesofmalta.com)

Sapporo: looking to bid for 2026 Winter Olympics

The mayor of Sapporo has announced his

city's intention to bid for the 2026 Winter

Olympics. The announcement comes at a

time when public opinion in some

European cities has turned against bidding for the Olympics in light of the

$51 billion price tag associated with the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.

(Reference: usatoday.com)

Beijing: APEC Gifts Signing Session

A signing session aimed at promoting the

replicas of gifts given by China to APEC

leaders during this year's meeting was

held in Beijing on December 2nd. Six

designers, including Zhong Liansheng, Shen Wenguang and Caoyu from

Beijing Gongmei Group joined the session and shared their designing

process of the souvenirs with attendees. (Reference: visitbeijing.com)

11

Macau: romantic Christmas

With its centuries-long links to European

culture, its mosaic of romantic

architecture and its genuine embrace of

multiculturalism Macau could have been

made for Christmas. The thoroughfares and lanes light up with

decorations, the city gets into full festive swing, and there are seasonal

activities of every stripe to enjoy. (Reference: macautourism.gov)

Qingdao: Jiaodong Airport to be finished in 2019

Recently, Qingdao Jiaodong Airport

construction meeting was held in Jiaozhou,

which started the new airport’s

construction project. According to the

planning, it will be "an airline hub and a gateway airport facing Japan and

Korea", so as to promote urban development. (Reference: macautourism.gov)

Jakarta: New Hello Kitty park entertain fans

A new attraction of Hello Kitty theme park

will open in Jakarta. The attraction built

on a 1,150-square-meter plot of land, was

12

divided into three sections — pre-show, main attraction and photo-taking

session. Hello Kitty is famous around the world, including in Indonesia.

(Reference: thejakartapost.com)

Rome: to lead Italy bid for 2024 Olympics

Rome will spearhead an Italian bid for the

2024 Olympic Games, Prime Minister

Matteo Renzi said on December 15th

vowing a strong campaign to win the event.

Rome, which held the Summer Games in 1960, shelved plans to bid for

the 2020 event two years ago due to concerns over rising costs as the

country battled an economic crisis. (Reference: sh.chinanews.com)

Barcelona: to Host World Routes 2017

World Routes 2017 which will take place

in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, is

expected to attract more than 3,500

delegates including 350 airlines, 1,000

airports and 300 tourism authorities from more than 125 countries. It will

be held at Fira de Barcelona and will take place from 23-26 September

2017. (Reference: asiatraveltips.com)

13

Kunming: connect to Vietnam border by rail

Yunnan's newest railroad, the Mengzi-Hekou Railway Line allowed

passenger traffic from Kunming to travel uninterrupted to an international

border on December 10th. Travelers will be able to ride from Kunming to

the Vietnam border in six and a half hours. (Reference: gokunming.com)

Los Angeles: restaurant week is coming soon

dineL.A.’s Restaurant Week is back!

From January 19th to February 1st, enjoy

a prix fixe lunch or dinner at more than

300 participating restaurants throughout

Los Angeles. The 14 days of culinary heaven let you to discover a new

restaurant or returning to an old favorite. (Reference: gokunming.com)

Kempinski: BMW motorcycle taxi service

Kempinski Hotel Moika and BMW Russia present Kempinski BMW

motorcycle taxi service in St Petersburg. The new VIP service offers

Accommodation

Industry News

14

unusual transfers to and from the hotel for any guest who is passionate

about riding a motorcycle. (Reference: kempinski.com)

JAL Hotels: invites Phoenix Miles members to gain triple

mileage

Nikko Hotels International and Hotel JAL City cooperate with Air China

and invites Phoenix Miles members to earn Double Mileage with

participating hotels around the world, or Triple Mileage with Hotel Nikko

Guangzhou for stays at special promotional plan from December 1st,

2014 to February 28th, 2015. (Reference: airchina.com)

Four Seasons: Unveils Exclusive Collection of 2016 Private

Jet Itineraries

Four Seasons announces the launch of four new Private Jet itineraries for

2016. The 2016 itinerary introduces a stop in Prague, Czech Republic; an

itinerary spanning eight countries and four continents; an itinerary for the

thrill-seeker at heart without compromising on legendary Four Seasons

luxury; the most diverse and intriguing collection of destinations of all

Private Jet itineraries, including the beautiful Seychelles. (Reference: newswire.ca)

15

Carnival Corporation: unveils multi-brand initiative

Carnival Corporation has launched its first-ever multi-brand marketing

initiative incorporating all nine of its global brands with television, digital,

social and contest elements. As part of the program, Carnival Corporation

invites consumers to review and vote for their favorite ideas for six

possible TV commercials – with a chance to win a cruise a year for life.

(Reference: Breaking Travel News)

Lonely Planet: voted Taiwan as ‘Best Value Destination’ for

2015

Lonely Planet has voted Taiwan as one of the top contenders for the ‘Best

Value Destination’ for 2015. The article says Rail passes in Taiwan are

standardized and cheap on fast and modern lines. Admission for many

attractions and temples is cheap, and even major museums are affordable.

(Reference: thehindu.com)

American Express: Creates New Technology Hub in Silicon

Valley

American Express announced the opening of a new technology hub in

Palo Alto on December 11th, expanding its presence in Silicon Valley.

Activity

16

The new team being assembled will focus on innovations in big data,

cloud computing and mobile infrastructure. (Reference: americanexpress.com)

Club Med: Fosun set to raise offer in bid battle

Chinese conglomerate Fosun, is set to raise its bid for holiday company

Club Mediterranean on December 1st to trump Italian tycoon Andrea

Bonomi. Bonomi's latest offer in the long-running battle stands at 23

euros per share. (Reference: 4-traders.com)

CAISSA Touristic: wants fly charters from China to Mahe

CAISSA Touristic has proposed to fly charters from China to Mahe,

giving their passengers those coveted nonstop services. The company

aimed to keep the quality of visitors in the upper market bracket and

avoid the downsides charter operations have brought to other long-haul

destinations. (Reference: eTurbo News)

UTour: Chinese tourists start to escape the cold winter

As winter arrives in most regions of China, travel agencies are expecting

a boom in bookings to Australia, a top choice for Chinese wanting to

escape the cold weather. Beijing UTour International Travel Service Co.,

Agency

17

Ltd. expects to serve about 10,000 travelers to Australia this year, up from

7,000 last year. (Reference: chinadaily.com)

Hong Kong Airlines: Launch Changchun Route

Hong Kong Airlines announced that it will launch flight service between

Hong Kong and Changchun, commencing on 29 December 2014. Airbus

A320 will be deployed on the route, operating on Mondays and

Thursdays. (Reference: hongkongairlines.com)

China Southern Airlines: continue partnership with Tourism

Australia in 2015.

Tourism Australia and China Southern Airlines will extend their existing

strategic partnership agreement, committing a further $3.5 million for

cooperative marketing in 2015. This extended agreement was signed on

December 4th in Parliament House, Canberra. (Reference: 4hoteliers.com)

Air China: to fly three flights a week between Chengdu and

Colombo

Air China will start direct service between Chengdu and Colombo in

February, 2015. An Airbus A330 will fly the Chengdu-Colombo route

Transportation

18

each Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. A one-way journey

between Chengdu and Colombo will take about five-and-a-half hours.

(Reference: asiantribune.com)

Capital Airports: Beijing Capital partner with SITA

Beijing Capital International Airport has chosen SITA to provide

technology to manage its more than 80 million travelers. In this new

contract, SITA’s common-use technology Airport Connect Open, will

enable 700 work stations, more than 1,000 ticket or bag tag printers,

nearly 300 scanners, more than 200 counters and 100 boarding gates in

Terminal 2 and 3 used by airlines operating at the gateway.

(Reference: airport-world.com)

2 million: more German tourists traveled to Greece

More than 2 million German tourists traveled to Greece by plane over the

summer, according to the German statistical office. In fact, 2,060,000

Germans made the trip to Greece, between April and October 2014. This

number shows an 18.6% increase, compared to 2013 when the total

number of tourists rose to 1,860,000. (Reference: eTurbo News)

Figure Scan

19

8 million: Record year for Czech tourism

The number of foreign tourists visiting the Czech Republic this year will

grow by 2.5 percent year-on-year to a record 8 million, according to

estimates released by agency CzechTourism and consulting company

Mag Consulting. (Reference: eTurbo News)

10.5 million: Tourism Grows in Mexico

The number of foreign visitors to Mexico was increased by 10.1% from

January to October in 2014, with the arrivals of 10.5 million tourists. The

foreign exchange earnings from international visitors showed a positive

development, reaching the tenth month of this year 13, 034 million

dollars. (Reference: theyucatantimes.com)

4%: UAE tourist numbers seen growing 4% per year

A total of 17 million tourists visited the UAE in 2013, and this number is

expected to rise further with an annual growth rate of 4% till 2023. The

industry is headed by Dubai, which is among the top five most visited

destinations in the globe. Nevertheless, other destinations such as Abu

Dhabi have also made significant progress in the recent past.

(Reference: tradearabia.com)

20

12%: Ireland's tourism earnings to surge in 2014

Ireland's government forecasts a tourism earnings increase of 12 percent

and a surge in overseas visitor numbers of 9 percent for the current year.

More than 7.3 million overseas visitors came to Ireland in 2014. For 2015,

Failte Ireland, the country's national tourism development authority, is

projecting an increase of 6 percent in overseas tourists. (Reference: menafn.com)

61%: need vacation to recover from holidays

With the holidays in full swing, a new survey released by Princess

Cruises found that this is a more stressful time for women than men, with

women feeling more pressure cooking meals and hosting parties, while

men feel more stress by shopping and receiving unwanted gifts. Nearly

61% of those surveyed need a vacation to recover from the holidays, with

women (65%) saying they need a vacation more than men (56%).

(Reference: eTurbo News)

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