News in Asia

Surat Thani province has joined hands with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and invites guests to visit the annual Samui Festival that will be held from September 14–19, 2019 on Samui Island.

The efforts of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to attract attention of travellers to 55 emerging destinations across the country start yielding results: Thailand’s provincial regions are reporting steady increases in tourism revenue.

This summer many parts of Japan have been suffering from scorching heat and meteorologists believe that high summer tempratures that have not yet cooled down may have pushed back the arrival of autumn foliage season.

Terminal 2 of Chengdu Tianfu International Airport takes shape with the major construction completed two months ahead of schedule on August 28th. Chengdu's second airport is set to become an important international flight hub after completion.

During this summer travel rush a total of 735 million railway trips were made in China, according to the China Railway Corporation (CRC).

China's first indoor VR theme park that opened its doors for the visitors on July 31 in the Hengqin New Area, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, has since become a super popular tourist destination.

According to Mastercard's 2019 Global Destination Cities Index, Bangkok is the top destination for global travellers for the fourth year in a row. In 2018, Bangkok welcomed about 22.7 million travellers.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has published their annual Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2019. The three countries to top the ranking this year are Spain, France and Germany.

Vang Vieng, a small town on the Nam Song River surrounded by striking limestone mountains and caves will become Laos' official 'tourism town' by 2020 – the Lao government has worked out the development plan for Vang Vieng recently.

City buses in Vientiane will start accepting cashless payments soon – Vientiane Capital State Bus Enterprise (VSCBE,) which operates Vientiane City Bus Service, has already installed cashless electronic payment system on several bus routes in the Lao capital.

Air India, the flag carrier airline of India, has announced it will stop using single-use plastic on all the airline's flights to support the government's "clean India" mission. Packaging and cuttlery will be replaced with eco-friendly paper and wood.

New five-star hotels are mushrooming in Nepal. It is yet not clear whether there are enough guests to fill up the new rooms though.

CNN Travel published their list of 13 most picturesque towns in Asia – how many have you been to? Now you know which destinations to include in your bucket list, don't you?

Starting from September, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) launches the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) in Myanmar. For travel agents and passengers it means more efficient and secure booking process than that have existed in the country before.

The Pangkor Island Biennal Festival organised under the patronage of Oriental Art And Cultural Center will return to the island in Perak, Malaysia, for the 5th time this year from September 13 to 15. This Mid-Autumn Festival combines tradition, culture and heritage.

Kuala Lumpur International Arts Festival kicked off on September 1 and will last through October with a series of activities held in different venues across the city – from the streets in the centre of KL to the Intermark, Malaysian Tourism Centre, to the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) and more.

Kampot is going to become the first province in Cambodia to feature a ‘Food Street’, an area totally dedicated to shops and stalls with local delicacies. It is part of  a government scheme for promoting tourism across the country.

The Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia stepped forward with an initiative to create an aviation association in a meeting with the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation and five airlines currently operating in the country.

While monsoon season in drawing to its end, festivals and celebrations kick off all across the country. We've chosen five fests not to miss this September. Enjoy.

Tourists will soon be able to admire the renowned Taj Mahal under the moonlight: the world famous monument will remein open after sunset.