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Eco-tourism mooted for Chai Prakan district
Nantanee Jedsadachaiyut
A pilot tourism project has been launched after natural
springs were discovered in Chai Prakan District, Chiang Mai. Watcharin
Srisattabud, head of the research project, said that the natural resources
and environmental conditions in both Den Rong and Tham Nong Bia villages
could be developed into new tourism sites.
These attractions include a large cave called “Tub
Tao,” which people have kept as a sacred place, and “Nam Ru,” the
largest natural springs in the district.
In the Sridongyen Tambon area, the four natural springs
Nam Ru Baw Hin, Nam Ru Ton Term, Nam Ru Ta-kian, and Nam Ru Luang were
found, some of them 10 meters deep and 100 meters long.
In July, the water becomes reddish, with the local fable
being that a large serpent lived under the ground, but scientific reasoning
describes a reaction of underground conditions and the influence of
hydrology.
The local people would like to take an important role in
natural resources and environmental conservation for sustainability.
“Furthermore, the location could be an important tourism site and could
provide additional income for the villagers as well,” said Watcharin.
Local researchers said that after collection of the data
on tourist attractions and natural resources, they would set up field trips
to other communities, and join the tour guide training program before
launching a pilot tourism project in the village on September 12-13. After
the trial period they will assist in evaluating the tourism project to
develop the community eco-tourism.
THAI sees no need to cut ticket prices
THAI’s president Kanok Abhiradee recently reiterated
that Thai Airways International would not cut air ticket prices for local
flights as a marketing strategy to boost its performance. “The national
carrier can not reduce prices because its operation in some air routes is
still experiencing financial difficulties, and a price cut by 10-20% would
cost the airway more than 10 billion baht,” Kanok stated.
Kanok added that it would be better if the company
brought profits to improve its business to compete with foreign rivals.
“Price cuts can be adopted from time to time and as a last resort. There
are other approaches we can depend on. Suppose all airways opt to adopt a
price-cutting strategy. It will end up in a loss-loss situation”, Kanok
said. (TNA)
Emirates to be official airline for BMW International Open 2003 a golf tournament
The tournament, held at the Golf Club Munich Nord
Eichenried from 28 - 30 August 2003 ranks high on the list of popular events
for the touring professionals and compares favorably with the Dubai Desert
Classic, another event for which Emirates is Official Airline partner.
Emirates is already well-known in Germany for sponsoring
sport. The airline is one of 15 Official Partners of the 2006 FIFA World
Cup, Germany. Henry Hasselbarth, Emirates Regional Manager North and Central
Europe, said, “Our sponsorship of sporting events in Germany not only
emphasizes the importance of the German market to us but also how committed
we are to developing our business here.”
The BMW International Open 2003 forms part of the PGA
European Tour and carries a total of EUR 1.8 million in prize money. This
year 154 professionals will take part, including leading golfers Ernie Els,
Bernhard Langer, defending champion Thomas Bj๖rn, John Daly and
Padraig Harrington.
HM suggests improvement of drainage system at new Bangkok airport
The drainage system at Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi
Airport in Samut Prakan, which is still under construction, has caused His
Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej to express concern over future flooding
because the location is in a low-lying area.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said, “His Majesty
the King raised the issue when I was granted a personal audience with the
beloved Thai monarch recently. His Majesty the King expressed his concern
over the drainage system at the Suvarnabhumi Airport and its vicinity, and
suggested that the system be improved.”
The government has heeded His Majesty the King’s
advice, and authorized the Royal Irrigation Department to study the areas
and to implement the best way to improve the drainage system in the areas. (TNA)
Global airline traffic picked up in June after being hit hard by SARS
Hong Kong (AP) - Airline traffic worldwide picked
up sharply in June but remains depressed following the SARS crisis and a
full recovery will take time, a leading industry official said Monday.
“The worst is over, but the road to recovery will be
long,” said Giovanni Bisignani, director general of the International Air
Transport Association, or IATA.
International air traffic was off by 11.8 percent in
June, when compared with the same month a year earlier, but that showed a
marked improvement from the 21 percent traffic plunge in May, according to
the Geneva-based IATA.
Asia-Pacific airlines, which were hit hardest by SARS,
saw a 35.8 percent dive in traffic during June, compared with a plunge of 55
percent in May. Severe acute respiratory syndrome sickened more than 8,400
people and killed more than 800, most of them in Asia.
Travel advisories from the World Health Organization were
imposed on several Asian areas hit hard by SARS, devastating air traffic in
the region. The disease originated last year in Mainland China and was
spread by air travelers from Hong Kong to Singapore, Vietnam and Canada -
all places that suffered fatal outbreaks.
SARS has now come under control and with the travel
warnings lifted, airlines are rebuilding schedules and seeing passengers
come back.
“The industry turned the corner in June,” Bisignani
said. “Although we are still well below where we were at the same time
last year, travelers are returning.”
Bisignani said pent-up demand is helping, as is the
summer vacation season in the northern hemisphere. Many airlines have also
been offering a variety of discounts to lure back the travelers.
TAT road show planned to lure Russian tourists
Thailand ground handlers will be visiting the former USSR
early next month with a week-long road show focusing on two major cities in
the Ural Mountains region.
Led by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), a group
of 30 members of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) will be in
Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk from September 4 to 11.
TAT deputy governor for overseas markets, Phornsiri
Manoharn, said the Ural Mountains region in north-east Russia had been
identified as a source of quality tourists. ‘There are some large, rich,
industrial towns in the Urals with great potential for quality and
volume,” Phornsiri said.
ATTA spokesman, Somjai Pongphak, said Uzbekistan Airways
is currently serving traffic from Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk to Bangkok
via Tashkent (Kazakhstan). But from November, Siberian Airlines will be
flying regular charters direct to Bangkok. “This will give a big boost to
arrivals,” said Somjai.
Thailand attracted 69,000 visitors from Russia in 2002,
an increase of 17 per cent over the previous year. (TTG Asia)
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