Articles tagged “skift asia weekly”

Businesses can’t resist the opportunities that a new frontier brings. In the case of Saudi Arabia, however, the gamble they take is whether tourists will actually go, given the kingdom’s poor image. The adage "build and they will come" is being tested.

Beyond the glare of overdevelopment, Asia’s resorts want to be a pioneer of the sustainability movement. Here’s how they say they will do that.

While other chains may have difficulty getting owners to spend on sustainability, Six Senses commits them by management contract. And while other chains are just getting rid of single-use plastic straws and bottles, Six Senses wants to be completely free of plastics by 2022. Will parent IHG follow suit?

Thomas Cook Group may have caved in, but in China and India, the companies that bear the name are profitable. Why?

India is becoming the boat that lifts Asia-Pacific destinations that have become too dependent on China outbound travel, which is sputtering. Australia is a good example of this.

After years of phenomenal growth, Chinese inbound tourism has hit the wall in Australia. It’s a pivotal moment for an industry that has enjoyed a golden run over the past decade. The question now is what does the future hold for Australia’s international tourism industry? For now, the answer is far from clear.

Unless they live on another planet, most people now know that airports are the perfect places to hold demonstrations and gain maximum coverage for a cause. It’s a message that airport authorities in Asia must correct, particularly as conflicts will continue to simmer in the region.

Closing islands for a rehab seems fashionable in Southeast Asia. It shouldn’t be. Authorities must first assess options carefully, and by no means should premature announcements be made. Just look at the Komodo Island example and the wrong messages Indonesia has sent about one of its most unique tourism assets.

All roads lead to Uluru, even after October 26 when a ban to climb "The Rock" is put into effect. Customers are changing, a reason why it should all be rock-steady for the red desert in Australia's Northern Territory long after the ban is enforced.

For many, the idea that a few families can control a whole industry is unthinkable, unfair, actually galling. In Philippine tourism, it’s as entrenched as the sight of a jeepney — no one thinks anything of it at all. That has to change, although it won’t be anytime soon.