When President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo set out to double Indonesia’s foreign tourist arrivals within the five years of his presidency, many were skeptical. Now, the target seems to be within reach. Combined government efforts that included the massive…
Fosun bets on integrated resorts to address the needs of Chinese travelers, who are showing interest in these types of experiences. Fresh from its Hong Kong initial public offering last month, Fosun Tourism Group is making good on its intention to use the…
Chinese outbound tourists are taking China’s mobile payment industry to foreign markets, according to Nielsen. The research company’s report, 2018 Trends for Mobile Payment in Chinese Outbound Tourism, shows that mobile payment transactions by surveyed…
Next week it Chinese New Year. It officially begins on February 5th, 2019, and ends on February 19th. This year will be the year of the Pig. It is the most important festival for Chinese people, so the city is fully decorated with festive installations. The…
Chinese visitor arrivals in South Korea rose 14.9 percent year-on-year in 2018 to 4,789,512, according to new Korea Tourism Organization figures. Chinese arrivals in December 2018 rose 25.2 percent year-on-year. The results confirm a sustained recovery in…
Retail shopping continues to be the largest expense for tourists from China, according to a survey from Nielsen and Alipay, accounting for almost a quarter of total spend. The 2018 trends of Chinese mobile payment in outbound tourism survey revealed that…
Korean tourism authorities were set on January 14 for the official opening of the Korea Grand Sale, an annual event for foreign shoppers with events, promotions and sales across the country. This year’s event, jointly hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports…
Hotel room rates in Hanoi and HCMC, at around $110 a night, are the second most expensive in Southeast Asia behind only Singapore. Real estate services firm CBRE Vietnam said at a recent conference that the performance of the four- and five-star hotel…
Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng, the point man on Hong Kong and Macau affairs, recently gave the green light to the official document on the “Greater Bay Area” following extensive consultations with local governments, a Beijing source said. “No party or…
Starbucks has opened its largest Southeast Asian location in Bali. The 20,000sqft Starbucks Dewata Coffee Sanctuary builds on 16 years of innovation in design, customer experience and community impact for the brand in Indonesia, where there are 370 Starbucks…
November Singapore retail sales were static, rising just 0.2 per cent year on year after removing motor vehicles from the data. On a month-on-month basis, sales rose 1.4 per cent, again after disregarding motor vehicles. Perhaps the most interesting figure…
According to the announcement by the government’s Reveue Department regarding ‘Downtown VAT Refund for Tourist’, the campaign has kickstarted an initiative to set up counters in numerous locations across central Bangkok to help tourists proceed with VAT…
Vietnam’s jet fuel demand will surge to a record this year as its tourism booms and the country’s airlines are rapidly expanding. The country is on track to have 38 million international passengers and 16 million visitors this year, according to data from…
Chinese group tours, which helped fuel local retail sector growth in recent years, have yet to make a full comeback despite the easing of restrictions by Beijing, Korean duty-free store operators said on Sunday. The assessment came as official data from the…
Overseas spending by South Korean tourists ranks among the top of advanced economies, research data showed on December 5. Figures provided by the Korea Economic Research Institute, affiliated with the Federation of Korean Industries, put the proportion for…
Chinese-owned, British headquartered toy store chain Hamleys has entered the Japanese retail market, opening two theme-park styled outlets. Hamleys Japan is targeting 4 million visitors to each store within the first year, with a view to opening 30 stores in…