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Maldivian tourism threatened by imminent protests
Feizal Samath, Male, October 1, 2013
TOURISM and hospitality workers in the Maldives have been urged to protest against a Supreme Court ruling, a move that could disrupt operations at resorts. Several countries such as the UK, Canada and Australia have also issued travel warnings for the islands.
Mauroof Zakir, secretary general of the Tourism Employees Association of Maldives (TEAM), told TTG Asia e-Daily that the association had asked its members to protest against the court order to indefinitely suspend the second round of presidential polls.
Zakir said: “The workers will only protest during off-duty hours and not disrupt operations.”
However, he conceded that “if the situation worsens, the protests could (eventually) affect resorts”. The Maldives’ tourism industry is made up of 25,000 workers, half of which are foreigners.
Calls on tourism workers to strike were first fielded by main opposition candidate and former president, Mohamed Nasheed, which has caused concern among the present government.
Minister of tourism, arts and culture, Ahmed Adeeb, said: “(The protests) will affect the entire industry. Politics should not be brought into tourism. Tourism workers, I believe, won’t abide by the call but if they do there will be a big backlash (in the industry).”
But United Nations World Tourism Organization secretary-general, Taleb Rifai, said travellers across the world today are acutely aware of political, social and economic issues and that they are part of life.
He was present at the World Tourism Day celebration held at Kurumba Maldives resort last Friday, and said the global tourism body had “insisted on having the event here at a time when the people of the Maldives are deciding their future”.
And then Air Asia X - boosting travel to SL
AirAsia X spurs more demand for Sri Lanka
S Puvaneswary, reporting from IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific, Bangkok, October 1, 2013
OUTBOUND tour operators from Malaysia are predicting stronger meeting and incentive demand for Sri Lanka following AirAsia X's commencement of four-weekly services between Kuala Lumpur and Colombo on September 28
With AirAsia X’s new service, the Kuala Lumpur-Colombo sector now has an additional 1,508 seats weekly. The route is also serviced by Malaysia Airlines’ 10-weekly flights and SriLankan Airlines’ 14-weekly services.
Grandlotus Travel Agencies managing director, K Thangavelu, said AirAsia X’s affordable airfares, as compared to the rates offered by the other full-service carriers serving the route, would make it easier for his company to promote Sri Lanka to meeting and incentive planners.
He believes that the lower fares may also encourage companies to send larger groups for business events, which now see an average of 50 delegates in attendance.
Small and medium-sized enterprises with smaller event budgets and seeking medium-haul destinations for incentives will also be attracted by AirAsia X’s Colombo services, according to RA Jits Travel & Tours managing director, Harminderjit Singh.
He added that Sri Lanka’s supply of “good beachfront hotels and varied attractions from nature activities to shopping and hill resorts” would provide the additional impetus for Malaysian clients to choose the destination.
Besides better air access, business event planners would also benefit from “the slew of five- and four-star hotels that are being constructed in Colombo and other tourist destinations including Negombo, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Nuwara Eliya over the next few years”, opined Johnson Francis, executive director of Oscar Holidays.
Adam Kamal, managing director of Tina Travel & Agencies, said Sri Lanka’s favourable visa policy, which offers visa-free entry to Malaysians who stay less than two nights, provides yet another advantage for his clients who are looking to host brief meetings overseas.
Sri Lanka might emerge a more attractive option than India as a result, as travel visas are required by the latter, Kamal added.
Maldivian tourism threatened by imminent protests
Feizal Samath, Male, October 1, 2013
TOURISM and hospitality workers in the Maldives have been urged to protest against a Supreme Court ruling, a move that could disrupt operations at resorts. Several countries such as the UK, Canada and Australia have also issued travel warnings for the islands.
Mauroof Zakir, secretary general of the Tourism Employees Association of Maldives (TEAM), told TTG Asia e-Daily that the association had asked its members to protest against the court order to indefinitely suspend the second round of presidential polls.
Zakir said: “The workers will only protest during off-duty hours and not disrupt operations.”
However, he conceded that “if the situation worsens, the protests could (eventually) affect resorts”. The Maldives’ tourism industry is made up of 25,000 workers, half of which are foreigners.
Calls on tourism workers to strike were first fielded by main opposition candidate and former president, Mohamed Nasheed, which has caused concern among the present government.
Minister of tourism, arts and culture, Ahmed Adeeb, said: “(The protests) will affect the entire industry. Politics should not be brought into tourism. Tourism workers, I believe, won’t abide by the call but if they do there will be a big backlash (in the industry).”
But United Nations World Tourism Organization secretary-general, Taleb Rifai, said travellers across the world today are acutely aware of political, social and economic issues and that they are part of life.
He was present at the World Tourism Day celebration held at Kurumba Maldives resort last Friday, and said the global tourism body had “insisted on having the event here at a time when the people of the Maldives are deciding their future”.
And then Air Asia X - boosting travel to SL
AirAsia X spurs more demand for Sri Lanka
S Puvaneswary, reporting from IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific, Bangkok, October 1, 2013
OUTBOUND tour operators from Malaysia are predicting stronger meeting and incentive demand for Sri Lanka following AirAsia X's commencement of four-weekly services between Kuala Lumpur and Colombo on September 28
With AirAsia X’s new service, the Kuala Lumpur-Colombo sector now has an additional 1,508 seats weekly. The route is also serviced by Malaysia Airlines’ 10-weekly flights and SriLankan Airlines’ 14-weekly services.
Grandlotus Travel Agencies managing director, K Thangavelu, said AirAsia X’s affordable airfares, as compared to the rates offered by the other full-service carriers serving the route, would make it easier for his company to promote Sri Lanka to meeting and incentive planners.
He believes that the lower fares may also encourage companies to send larger groups for business events, which now see an average of 50 delegates in attendance.
Small and medium-sized enterprises with smaller event budgets and seeking medium-haul destinations for incentives will also be attracted by AirAsia X’s Colombo services, according to RA Jits Travel & Tours managing director, Harminderjit Singh.
He added that Sri Lanka’s supply of “good beachfront hotels and varied attractions from nature activities to shopping and hill resorts” would provide the additional impetus for Malaysian clients to choose the destination.
Besides better air access, business event planners would also benefit from “the slew of five- and four-star hotels that are being constructed in Colombo and other tourist destinations including Negombo, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Nuwara Eliya over the next few years”, opined Johnson Francis, executive director of Oscar Holidays.
Adam Kamal, managing director of Tina Travel & Agencies, said Sri Lanka’s favourable visa policy, which offers visa-free entry to Malaysians who stay less than two nights, provides yet another advantage for his clients who are looking to host brief meetings overseas.
Sri Lanka might emerge a more attractive option than India as a result, as travel visas are required by the latter, Kamal added.
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