Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

The Korea Travel Expo, from 23rd-24th June, will have the famous tourist attraction in S. Korea— Lotte World. “They will have a 3-people team and showcase their array of Theme-Park, Aquariums and Observatory. They are exhibiting in India for the first time,” revealed Young-Geul Choi, Director, KTO, New Delhi. Register at www.koreatravelexpo.com, email Jaspreet at jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call +91 9650196532.

In anticipation of the opening of international borders, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) invites the global conventions industry to collaborate on activating an initiative called Regenerating Legacies Recovery Roadmap. The industry is now more attuned to new realities through its relentless efforts in adapting to change. TCEB Conventions Department leans itself into this shift in mindset and behaviour to embark on this collaborative journey. “TCEB’s advocacy for industry collaboration is one of the campaign cornerstones when we launched Thailand: REDEFINE Your Business Events in 2018. Now, the Regenerating Legacies Recovery Roadmap begins with a series of conversations that call upon that collaborative spirit to revive the business of global conventions with a future-shaping attitude,” said Nichapa Yoswee, Senior Vice President at TCEB. Covid-19 aggravated Associations’ concerns around succession planning, evolutions that honour legacies and profitable innovations. The Regenerating Legacies conversations explore fundamental beliefs with association experts and industry partners to identify growth accelerators that cultivate valid advancements for the convention business ecosystems. Yoswee explains, “We seek to understand Associations’ pain points, but we cannot resolve them in isolation. We have to move beyond rumination and spearhead effective changes that reinforce the value perception of our industry.” “Redefining the future is not just an outcome. It is a journey with unexpected changes. The road to recovery challenges our resilience, but the way we respond is what matters most. Our team at TCEB is here to support association professionals in making informed decisions. What we can spearhead are robust conversations that attract agents for change and spark new approach for future generations.” A series of activities are in the pipeline to engage the convention industry on this collaborative recovery journey. Join …

With its nationwide vaccination campaign in full swing, South Korea will allow group tours for fully vaccinated people under travel bubble agreement with countries like Singapore and Taiwan to start with, revealed the transport and culture ministries. It is believed that an air bubble with India and Korea is on the cards too. Apart from Singapore and Taiwan, the Government is planning to sign travel bubble agreements with  Thailand, Guam and Saipan for the exclusive travel partnership that have been relatively successful in containing and combating the pandemic within their respective borders, according to the transport ministry. To know more, register for Korea Travel Expo, scheduled on 23-24 June. For registrations, contact Jaspreet Kaur at jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com

Research is the very cornerstone of Phillip Island Nature Parks (Melbourne) operations, informing wildlife management and environmental programs within the Parks and helping us to understand and respond to threats to Phillip Island’s wildlife.   Phillip Island Nature Parks’ research program is diverse in scope, covering both terrestrial and marine domains. Its functions include producing evidence-based information to guide the development of policy and wildlife management programs specific for Phillip Island, and with application regionally and internationally.   Our research team is an authority on little penguins, seals and other seabirds. Little penguin research on Phillip Island has been ongoing for over 50 years – one of the longest continuous seabird studies in the world.   In the 1980s, the future of the penguin population was uncertain. A housing estate on the peninsula was presenting many dangers to the colony; Little Penguins were being killed by cars, foxes, dogs and feral cats. Their habitat was being destroyed by houses, fire and weed invasion.   A scientific paper prepared by Phillip Island Nature Parks’ research staff predicted that, if nothing were done, the world’s most famous colony of Little penguins at the Penguin Parade could be extinct on Summerland Peninsula by the year 2000. This colony was the last remaining of the original 10 penguin colonies on Phillip Island prior to European settlement, and the findings set off alarm bells across the community and Government.   A major program of revegetation and regeneration commenced, and still continues today. The penguin colony began to rebuild and grew from 12,000 to 30,000 breeding birds. More and more of the Peninsula is being used for nesting as the penguin habitat is progressively re-established and …

Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) has appointed Deveekaa Nijhawan to lead the International PR and Communications team, to assist in marketing the destination in key markets as part of the country’s strategy to become a world-leading tourism destination.   Her remit covers key markets including India, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and United Arab Emirates with a focus on engaging and penetrating travel trade and consumer media. Nijhawan is a senior PR professional with over 10 years’ experience in PR & Communications in the hospitality sector. Nijhawan says, “I am very excited to join QNTC and embrace this new challenge. I am looking forward to developing and implementing a holistic integrated PR and Communications strategy to position Qatar as a popular tourist destination, while promoting the country’s rich cultural heritage and diverse offerings.”   As part of the national strategy, Qatar National Vision 2030, QNTC is on a journey to welcome six million visitors a year by 2030, by improving and expanding the country’s tourism proposition with visitor experience at its core. Nijhawan will support the international marketing strategy, while Qatar continues to grow and improve tourism assets, enhance the end-to-end customer experience and invest in service excellence across every touchpoint.   She will execute QNTC’s tailored global communications campaigns, with a focus in key markets. Chief Operating Officer of Qatar National Tourism Council, Berthold Trenkel, says, “We are thrilled to welcome Deveekaa to the team. She will play a pivotal role in delivering our ambitious tourism development strategy. Her extensive PR and Communications experience and knowledge of global markets will help us engage with travellers as we prepare to welcome tourists back to Qatar.”   QNTC’s commitment to developing bespoke …

Mauritius will be opening for international travellers from 15 July 2021 in phases. The first phase, from 15 July to 30 September 2021, will enable vaccinated travellers to enjoy a resort holiday on the island. They must undergo a PCR test between 5 and 7 days before departure and a negative result is required to travel to the island. Travellers will also have a PCR test on arrival at the airport in Mauritius and on day 7 and 14 of their resort holiday, as applicable. If guests stay over 14 days and have negative PCR tests during their stay in the resort, they will be able to explore the island’s attractions. However, for shorter stays, they may leave the resort earlier and travel back home. A list of pre-approved Covid-19 safe resorts will be available from 20 June 2021 at www.mauritiusnow.com Travellers to Mauritius aged 18 years or over must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. For Phase 2, from the 1st of October 2021, vaccinated travellers will be allowed entry without restrictions upon presentation of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure. Unvaccinated travellers will be subject to 14 days in-room quarantine for both Phases 1 and 2 until further notice.

A total of six regions from South Korea will be showcased at the first virtual Korea Travel Expo which is to be held from June 22-24, 2021. The regions, represented by their RTOs, are Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Gyeonggi, Jeju and Gyeongsangbuk-do, revealed Young-Geul Choi, Director, Korea Tourism Organization. Register at www.koreatravelexpo.com, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com, or call +91 9650196532.

The Korea Travel Expo, scheduled from 22-24 June 2021, will offer Indian agents a chance to meet around 9 DMCs. Some of the DMCs are participating for the first time in the India market and are excited to meet Indian buyers,” said Young-Geul Choi, Director, Korea Tourism Organization. Register at www.koreatravelexpo.com, email Jaspreet at jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call +91 9650196532.

The Tourism Office of Spain – Mumbai continues with its webinar series exclusively designed for the Indian travel trade with one-hour webinars in June-July. The next one will be held today at 3pm IST and will focus on Valencia. Those who attend all three webinars and participate in the educational quiz stand a chance to win Amazon gift vouchers. To register, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

Korea Travel Expo, to be held from 22-24 June 2021, will mimic a real-life exhibition, says Young-Geul Choi, Director, Korea Tourism Organization, New Delhi office. “It is a 3-day event, and the 1st day we have reserved for ‘by invite only’ buyers who we would be inviting personally. The next 2 days are open for all Indian travel agents who want to meet our Korean exhibitors. The platform offers the option of both pre-scheduled meeting as well as on-spot meetings by visiting the exhibitor booth as you would do in a physical exhibition. While people wait for their meetings, we will also have an interactive fun page where people can get interesting Korea related information, watch videos and participate in quiz/activities to win exciting prizes. We have kept everything very practical and business focused and avoided having any preloaded or live presentations or too many interactive features, which at times slows down the interface.” points out Choi. Register at www.koreatravelexpo.com, email jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call +91 9650196532.