Asia Travel Destination Industry News & Information by Skift

U.S. to Ban Tourist Visits to North Korea

Matthew Lee, Associated Press

The ban, starting in September, comes after a U.S. student died from an injury after detainment in a North Korean prison. While Skift believes free travel is a right and is also helpful geopolitically, this may be an exceptional case.

1 day ago

Thailand Switches Tourism Strategy to Drive Longer Stays and More Spending

Sunil Jagtiani, Bloomberg

Thailand's Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul is in the vanguard among the world's tourism ministers for shunning targets for visitor numbers and switching to a focus on boosting daily spending and length of stay. An end to tourism stunts (like plastic surgery contests) will be welcome, too.

5 days ago

Chinese Outbound Tourism Is Up But Shopping Sprees Are Down

Bloomberg

A new survey shows Chinese tourists are spending more on travel but shopping less while they are on vacation overseas. The travel industry should take note of the fact that shopping isn't the draw it once was and work to provide what visitors from China really want.

2 weeks ago

China’s Dalian Wanda Group Unloads $9.3 Billion in Tourism Projects

Bloomberg

We are not going to tell large Chinese companies how to live their life. But their actions of unloading and buying and selling right now does not speak to a solid market. It suggests insecurity.

2 weeks ago

Chinese Travelers Turn to Messaging Apps To Make Payments

Dave Montali, Skift

The Chinese outbound market is booming yet travelers still find low acceptance of their typical payment methods. As travel becomes more accessible to the Chinese lower and middle class offering payment methods such as AliPay and WeChat Pay will be a definitive competitive advantage.

2 weeks ago

Travel to Russia Surges Despite Geopolitical Tension

Nikki Ekstein, Bloomberg

Russia is experiencing a huge tourism Trump bump, and tour operators are slammed with demand from U.S. travelers.

3 weeks ago

Messaging App Line to Open Digital Theme Park in Thailand

Kankanit Wiriyasajja and Kaweewit Kaewjinda, Associated Press

If you build it they will come — and text. Is Line Village Bangkok a next-generation theme park? We'll see.

4 weeks ago

Trump Administration Mulls Banning U.S. Travel to North Korea

Josh Lederman, Associated Press

Travel bans seem to be the Trump administration's new favorite weapon. Muslim bans, laptop bans, individual travel to Cuba bans and now a proposed travel ban to North Korea. We aren't recommending a vacation in North Korea but an outright ban doesn't seem the way to go.

1 month ago

Video: Changing Behavior of Asian Travelers Is Reshaping Brand Expectations

Sean O'Neill, Skift

It won't surprise anyone that Asian travel is a big theme. But this presentation covers a few changes in consumer behaviors that travel brands ignore at their peril.

2 months ago

Japanese Tourism Could Be Boosted If Foreign Casino Construction Is Okayed

Lisa Du, Yuki Hagiwara, Grace Huang , Bloomberg

Japan is loosening its laws around foreign casino ownership. But it needs to coordinate its strategy if it wants to woo Las Vegas Sands, MGM, and other companies to build resorts that might rival Macau in popularity.

2 months ago

Overtourism and Lax Oversight Threaten Great Wall of China

Steven Schwankert, Skift

The Great Wall of China doesn’t need Hollywood to remain one of the world’s wonders. But stampedes of Chinese tourists still threaten an edifice that northern armies failed to conquer.

2 months ago

Shanghai Disney Is Smashing Expectations as One-Year Mark Nears

Hannah Sampson, Skift

Disney's theme park results were strong for the quarter, but its pipeline of projects around the world show the company has much bigger ambitions.

2 months ago