News in Asia

Tourists visiting Laos tend not to make a second trip to the country. Returning visitors account for 7.9 percent of all overseas travellers. And Laos would like to change it.

Foreign tourists planning to visit Laos now can apply for a visa online prior to arrival: Laos has recenty launched long-awaited electronic tourist visa (eVisa) service.

A recent study by Ipsos Mori for TripAdvisor reveals that over a half of travellers planning their trip (52 percent) always rely on opinions posted online before choosing a hotel or a restautant. Venues with no reviews usually are not considered at all.

Following Garuda Indonesia's recent ban on photos and videos on board AirAsia launched a photo contest among their passengers encouraging them to share their happy experience while flying with the airline.

Inle Lake, Myanmar’s star tourist attraction in Shan State, becomes more and more overcrowded with motorboats taking tourists on a ride around the lake and ruining the idyllic atmosphere on the lake.

Bagan, Myanmar, that has recently received a UNESCO World’s Heritage Site status, may soon be connected by a direct air route to Bangkok, Thailand’s capital.

Effective from August, 1, Vietnam Airlines change their baggage allowance policy. These changes concern all domestic and international flights.

Since July, 1, AirAsia's new domestic flight connects two heritage cities in Malaysia: Georgetown, the capital of Penang, and Malacca, the capital of the namesake state.

Kep, Cambodia's southern coastal province, famous for its paradise islands and outstanding seafood, will get its own tourist seaport.

'Zero-Dollar’ tour packages are ruining tourism sector in Cambodia, the Minister of Tourism said last week promising to protect the industry bringing this practice to an end.

Visa-on-arrival policy that was introduced earlier this year to encourage tourists to visit Sri Lanka during the monsoon period and eventually put on a hold after the Easter attacks may be revived starting from August, 1.

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee added 29 new cultural and natural sites to its World Heritage List at the annual meeting which took place on July, 6, in Baku, Azerbaijan this time.

Plastic bags will be banned in all traditional markets in Hanoi by the end of the year. The municipal Industry and Commerce Department of the Vietnamese capital encourages business owners to join the anti-plastic campaign.

If you are planning to travel to Vietnam this summer, keep in mind that Vietnam's Centre for Regional and Urban Studies expects this year to be the hottest ever since temperatures began to be recorded in 1880.

Ormoc City Airport in the Philippines, that suffered major damages during Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 and the earthquake in 2017, has been given a major facelift recently. It is expected to be a big boost to the tourism sector of Northwest Leyte Tourism Corridor.

The Philippine's first International Dive Expo will take place in Manila this September. The fair is aimed at promoting the development of the local scuba diving industry and putting the Philippines in the focus of the world's diving society as a premiere diving destination.

A Department of Tourism of the Philippine's (DOT) official said Mindanao remains a safe place to visit, including popular Sulu and Basilan Islands. While Mindanao is a 'troubled' province at the moment, several areas are totally safe to travel to.

According to the Department of Tourism (DOT), the first five months of 2019 brought a total of almost 3.5 million tourists to the Philippines, a 9.76 percent increase compared to the last year’s figures. 

Beijing's new multi-billion dollar airport  is set to open before September, 30 to celebrate the 70th anniversary in power of the Communist government. The new airport will help accommodate soaring air traffic in China.

TAT, Tourism Athority of Thailand, is turning 60 next year. They are going to mark the anniversary with 10 percent growth in 2020 through quality markets and responsible tourism.