Thai immigration reports over 900,000 tourists in Phuket since May

Phuket’s tourism is continuing to make its post-Covid-19 comeback. Thai immigration reported over 900,000 tourists in Phuket from May 1 to November 27.

The total number of tourists that visited the island province in that time frame is 934,164. Of those tourists, 914,746 are foreigners, and 19,418 are Thai.

Meanwhile the Phuket Walking Street Sunday Market, also well known as ‘Laad Yai’ is still full of tourists every week, The Phuket Express reported. The vice president of the Old Phuket Town Community, Somyos Patan, said…

“The market is one of the most important tourism destinations in Phuket which is a must for visitors to visit the signature market in the Phuket Old Town.”

Russians made up Phuket’s largest tourist demographic if November. This month, 55,097 Russians made their way to the island province.

The second largest tourist group in Phuket this month came from India, with 26,525 travellers, according to Phuket Immigration. The third largest group was Australians, with 13,868 tourists. British visitors made up the fourth largest group with 12,340 tourists. Germans came in fifth place, with 11,097 tourists.

The recent swarm of Russian tourists in Thailand has taken the country’s tourism forces completely by surprise. Despite the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian tourism market has returned much quicker than expected, according to the president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA).

Chartered flights to Phuket and Pattaya are being filled by Russian tourists. Less than two weeks after Russian airlines made their triumphant return to Phuket, Aeroflot announced an increase in direct flights to the island. The flagship airline of Russia announced on November 12 that it would be adding 14 new flights a week from Russia to Phuket.

Last week, TAT’s deputy governor said the number of Russian tourists flying to Thailand is expected to reach 1 million next year.

As of October 26, Thailand witnessed 7,349,843 international tourists arriving, surpassing the seven million mark. It’s put the country within its goal range set by the TAT of seven to 10 million visitors for 2022.

Source - The Thaiger

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Vietnam to test reopening starting with Phu Quoc Island

Vietnam was one of the earliest countries to lockdown due to Covid-19, a strategy that had done it well until a massive outbreak in April, just like Thailand. And now, also like Thailand, they are looking to relaunch their tourism industry after close to two years of closures. Vietnam is now looking to reopen in late November, starting with the popular resort island of Phu Quoc.

The island aims to reopen to inoculated foreign tourists starting November 20 with charter flights bringing fully vaccinated international travelers to the tropical paradise. Phu Quoc is known for beautiful white sand beaches and clear blue waters on the coast with jungles and mountains inland.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the Vietnamese government was angling to turn the island in the Gulf of Thailand about 10 km off the coast of Cambodia into a beach-going tourist hot spot along the lines of Bali and Phuket. Phu Quoc had already been drawing massive crowds with figures from 2019 reporting US $18 billion generated by approximately 670,000 international travellers.

Like Thailand’s reopening, Vietnamese authorities hope to attract travellers from countries that are low risk for Covid-19 infections, citing parts of Europe, the Middle East, Northeast and Southeast Asia, North America, and Australia as their target market.

The reopening was originally planned for October, then postponed due to low local vaccination rates, with only about 20% of Vietnam’s 100 million people having received the full inoculation. But the Vietnam economy is suffering after closed borders and some of the strictest lockdowns in the world, with almost no commercial flights being allowed to land in Vietnam since the beginning months of last year.

So Vietnam is dipping its toe in the water with Phu Quoc, hoping to bring in a few vaccinated tourists next month and, if successful, slowly trickle in another 5,000 foreigners on charter flights between December and the end of March.

Vietnamese authorities hope that the experimental reopening of Phu Quoc Island will pave the way to reopening other popular tourist destinations like Ha Long Bay and Hoi An in the near future, but no timeline or details have been set yet.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World / The Thaiger

VISA AGENT

#Tunisia opens its beaches for tourists after lockdown

  

Tourists are back on Tunisia’s beaches after charter flights resumed to the North African country following a break of more than three months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Some 155 mask-clad holiday makers from France, Germany and Luxembourg were greeted late last week on the resort island of Djerba with temperature checks – but also by hostesses offering them bouquets of jasmine.

“We can’t save the whole season, but we will do everything we can to save part of it,” said Tourism Minister Mohamed Ali Toumi, who was at the airport to welcome the Luxair flight.

Tunisia, a country of some 11.5 million people, has officially registered 1,374 novel coronavirus infections and 50 deaths.

It reopened its borders on June 27, and travellers from countries it classifies as “green”, including France, Germany and Luxembourg, are not subject to any coronavirus restrictions.

“You have managed the health crisis better than us,” said Patrick, a Frenchman in his sixties who arrived with his son for 10 days in the Tunisian sun.

Tourism accounts for between eight and 14 per cent of Tunisia’s GDP, and employs around half a million people.

The novel coronavirus crisis has hit the sector hard.

Tourism revenues declined by around 50 per cent between January 1 and July 10, compared to the same period last year, according to official figures.

Authorities are counting on health regulations to reassure tourists and the sector, and have halved hotel capacity in order to comply with anti-coronavirus measures.

“We are determined to strictly apply the health protocol,” the tourism minister said.

Authorities are hoping for a revival of the sector in early 2021.

Elsewhere in North Africa, Morocco announced Sunday a further easing of its own novel coronavirus restrictions, allowing tourist establishments to operate at full capacity but keeping borders closed.

A “third phase” of easing was set to come into effect on Monday, authorities said in a statement, as part of “the continued implementation of measures necessary for a gradual return to normal life and restarting the economy”.

Tourist businesses are now allowed to “use 100 per cent of their capacity, without exceeding 50 per cent in common areas” such as restaurants, pools and indoor sports facilities.

But the kingdom will keep its borders closed “until further notice”, except for returning Moroccans and residents.

Since June, Morocco has allowed cafes, restaurants and shops to reopen and for domestic tourism to restart.

A state of health emergency remains in place in Morocco until August 10.

Cultural centres, libraries, museums and archaeological sites are also allowed to reopen “without exceeding 50 per cent capacity”, the statement said, and gatherings and activities with fewer than 20 people are also allowed.

Wedding parties and funeral gatherings remain prohibited, and cinemas and public pools will stay closed, a statement said.

The country of 34 million has officially registered over 17,000 novel coronavirus cases and around 270 deaths since March.

Authorities placed parts of the northern city of Tangiers back into lockdown last week after new clusters of infection appeared, and locked down the coastal town of Safi earlier in the month after an outbreak at a factory.

Source - Phnom Penh Post

#Brazilian beach tops TripAdvisor's list of best beaches 2020

Dreaming of a sun-soaked beach holiday? In time for spring break, TripAdvisor has released the latest edition of its annual best beaches ranking, giving Brazil's Baia do Sancho the top spot.

For the second year in a row, the beach of Fernando de Noronha was given the title of world's best beach in TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice Awards 2020 for its "heavenly" mirage-like view.

The ranking is based on the quantity and quality of traveler reviews for beaches over a 12-month period.

This year's list of top 10 beaches is dominated by beaches in the West.

The top-ranked beach for the US is Florida's Siesta Beach, coming in at 11th on the World ranking. 
Here are the world's best beaches 2020, according to TripAdvisor:

    Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
    Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
    Playa Paraiso, Cayo Largo, Cuba
    Spiaggia dei Conigli, Lampedusa, Islands of Sicily
    Prainhas do Pontal do Atalaia, Arraial do Cabo, Brazil
    Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman
    Eagle Beach, Palm - Eagle Beach, Aruba
    Flamenco Beach, Culebra, Puerto Rico
    Varadero Beach Varadero, Cuba
    Kleftiko Beach, Milos, Cyclades

#Switzerland is the safest country for travelers

Collating data on the frequency of natural disasters, the quality of healthcare systems and levels of violent crime and terrorist threat, the travel insurance comparison website Insurly has established a ranking of the safest countries for travelers.

According to the methodology developed by Insurly for its "2020 Ranking of the World's Safest Countries", Switzerland is the world's safest travel destination with an overall score of 93.4 out of 100. In particular, travelers will be reassured by the country's excellent score for transport risks (98 out of 100), one of the four criteria evaluated by the study, which takes into account the annual number of tourists killed or injured on roads as well as the prevalence of airlines on the European Commission's blacklist.

Placed second, Singapore scored 92.7 out of 100, making it the safest Asian country. The risk of natural disasters on the island city state was estimated at 93 out of 100. For this criterion, the study drew on data from the the United Nations University risk report, which also takes into account measures established to cope with such events.

Ranked third, Norway was rewarded with an overall score of 91.1 out of 100. It is worth noting that the Scandinavian country would have come first were it not for its score for risks of violence (75 out of 100, as opposed to 98 for 100 transport risks, and 95 out of 100 for health care). The violence criterion took into account figures for the number of murders relative to the size of populations, and also for the prevalence of acts of terrorism. 

For its part, France was ranked 32nd in the list of 180 destinations. The country scored well for transport risks (88 out of 100) and risks of natural disasters (89 out of 100).

Finally, the three riskiest destinations for travelers were South Sudan (14.8), the Democratic Republic of Congo (15.4) and the Central African Republic (21) 

The list of the top-10 safest countries for travelers:

1. Switzerland

2. Singapore

3. Norway

4. Luxembourg

5. Cyprus

6. Iceland

7. Denmark

8. Portugal

9. Finland

10. Japan

#Vietnam safe to travel around, tourism officials assure

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Vietnamese tourism officials have stressed that the nation has the new coronavirus epidemic under control and it is a safe travel destination.

In a letter sent to foreign partners in multiple languages on Wednesday, Nguyen Trung Khanh, director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration (VNAT), has affirmed that the country’s tourism sector has been actively responding to the Covid-19 epidemic.

"Since the outbreak of the disease last December in China and the Vietnamese government declared it an epidemic on February 1, Vietnam has controlled the epidemic well. The treatment and prevention measures have been effective, so there is no spread of Covid-19 in the community," the letter says.

Of 16 people infected with the virus so far, seven have been discharged from the hospital.

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The letter says the administration has cooperated with localities and travel agencies to take urgent measures to prevent and minimize the risk of infection and ensure safety for tourists. Tourist attractions have been sanitized, and face masks and brochures on preventing any infection are being handed out to visitors.

Vietnam’s tourism sector constantly prioritizes the safety of international tourists, it notes, adding that tourist attractions, historical sites and restaurants remain open to serve them.

The letter allaying visitors’ concerns over the Covid-19 has been written in the context of a dramatic drop in tourism since Vietnam first confirmed two Covid-19 infections on January 23.

Hanoi had seen 19,300 international tourists cancel hotel bookings as of February 6. Khanh Hoa Province, home to travel hotspot Nha Trang where 70 percent of tourists are Chinese, now has 5,000 empty rooms and 5,000 unemployed tourism staff, local data shows.

 The Covid-19 epidemic could cost Vietnam $5.9- $7.7 billion in Q1 tourism revenues this year, or about 25 percent of the industry's revenue last year, the VNAT estimates.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam suspended flights to and from China starting early this month.

The epidemic has struck at a time Vietnam has enjoyed a tourism boom, with visitor numbers last year growing 16.2 percent year-on-year to a record high of 18 million. The United Nations World Tourism Organization has put Vietnam seventh among world’s 10 fastest-growing tourist destinations.

The Covid-19 outbreak, with its epicenter in China’s Wuhan City, has so far infected more than 60,000 and killed 1,369 people, almost all of them in China. It has been detected in around 30 countries and territories so far.

Source - VN Expess

Disneyland raises ticket prices by 3% to $154 a day

Walt Disney Co. raised admission prices by 3.4 percent at its Disneyland resort in California, but the increase was smaller than in years past despite coming after the opening of a costly Star Wars-themed land last year.

A single, peak-day ticket now costs $154, the company’s website showed Tuesday, up from $149. Last year, the single, peak-day price rose 10 percent. Annual passes also increased, with the highest-priced Premier access rising to $2,199, up 5 percent since June and 13 percent from a year ago.

Disney, the world’s largest theme-park operator, has been trying to find ways to manage crowds and keep its resorts more accessible by offering lower prices during off-peak times, such as weekdays in the winter when kids are in school. The company has also expanded its offering of annual passes, as it invests billions of dollars in new attractions.

“A visit to our parks is the best value in entertainment bar none, and we offer flexible ticket choices to enable families to choose what’s best for them,” Disney said in a statement.

Last year, Disney opened Star Wars-themed lands at its Hollywood Studios park in Orlando, Florida, and at the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California, at a cost of $1 billion each.

Attendance at the company’s domestic resorts was flat in the fiscal year that ended in September, and up 2 percent in the most recent quarter.

The company also increased prices for annual passes at its Orlando parks, according to the website WDW News Today.

Disneyland is the second-most-visited theme park in the world, after the company’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando. It attracted 18.7 million guests in 2018, according to the Themed Entertainment Association.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Eurail adds two countries to its unlimited global train pass

For the first time in 61 years, all three of Baltic countries will be accessible for travelers to visit with a single train pass, Lonely Planet reported.

In 2020, Estonia and Latvia have been added to the list of countries non-Europeans can travel to with the Eurail Global Pass.

Now consisting of 33 countries, the list already includes destinations like Rome, Venice, Barcelona, Paris and London.

The all-in-one, unlimited train ticket allows travelers to ride all local trains, high-speed trains and night trains across Europe, run by participating operators.

Eurail Global Pass holders can now ride Latvia’s local operator, Pasažieru vilciens, from its main hub in Riga, and Estonia’s operator Elron from the capital city of Tallinn to other domestic destinations.

They will also receive an up to 50 percent discount on ferry tickets from Riga to Stockholm and Germany, and from Tallinn to Stockholm and Helsinki.

Travelers can choose between two Global Pass options: The Continuous Pass and the Flexi Pass. The former allows for unlimited travel over 15 days, while the latter allows for three, five or seven days of unlimited travel within a month.

While the Eurail Global Pass is only available to non-Europeans, European travelers can get similar benefits with the Interrail Pass.

Source - TheJakataPost

#Emirates offers up plenty of reasons to visit Dubai for winter break

Dubai, home to the 830-meter-tall Burj Khalifa, massive Dubai Mall and seven-star Burj Al Arab hotel, is a city that many people dream to visit. Ranked ninth on the Lonely Planets’ Best City to Visit list of 2020, Dubai is also well-known for its cultural heritage.

This upcoming holiday season might be the right time to finally put that dream in motion, as Emirates airline is offering a special promotion for tickets to Dubai on Dec. 2-15, for travel dates Dec. 5-27 and Jan. 3 to May 31, 2020.

During the special promotion, return tickets for economy class start from Rp 7.9 million (US$ 566.61) and business class Rp 29.9 million. The prices include a two-night stay at Rove at the Park or Rove Healthcare City for economy flyers and Address Sky View or Address Dubai Mall for business and first-class flyers.

When booking the flight, travelers simply need to enter the code FEDUBAI before making their payment.

Emirates will also sponsor 30-day Dubai Tourist Visas for travelers from Cambodia, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia for trips booked before Dec. 17.

Other facilities include 10 kilograms of extra baggage space for each passenger and a My Emirates Pass — an exclusive membership that offers 30 percent discounts from retail stores and 50 percent off for leisure activities — valid for travelers flying between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2020, by showing their Emirates boarding pass.

Travelers of Boeing 777’s business and first-class can enjoy wider and ergonomic seats that recline into a flat position for a more comfortable sleep and the Ice in-flight entertainment system. Meanwhile, business class passengers on board the Airbus A380 will enjoy a personal minibar, an onboard lounge, as well as a fully flat cozy mattress.

Economy class travelers will also be pampered with a comfortable flying experience, receiving amenity kits, eco-friendly blankets and inflight meals inspired by traditional dishes from the United Arab Emirates.

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Vietnam - Mekong Delta tourism charm waning

The Mekong Delta province of An Giang in the flooding season.

Poor transport facilities and a lack of diverse tourism products mean the Mekong Delta struggles to keep visitors for more than a day.

Nguyen Huu Tho, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said the region's tourism remains undeveloped. The delta, which includes Can Tho City and 12 provinces, attracted 3.4 million foreign visitors in 2018, a modest figure compared to the potential. Less than half stayed overnight, according to the association.

Many travel agencies only use the region as an adjunct to their itinerary for international visitors, which centers on Ho Chi Minh City.

Nguyen Quoc Ky, General Director of Viettravel, a leading travel company, said the delta does not have a developed port while its four airports at Can Tho, Rach Gia, Ca Mau, and Phu Quoc have yet to become transport hubs for the region.

International visitors usually fly into HCMC and travel to the delta by road, but the highway network is not good enough to help tourism flourish, Ky said at the recent Mekong Delta Tourism Development Forum held in Can Tho.

Vo Anh Tai, Deputy General Director of another travel giant Saigontourist, said it currently takes visitors up to an average of 70-90 minutes to travel 50 km in the delta.

Tai cited the Hanoi - Lao Cai Expressway in northern Vietnam as a typical example of how good transport infrastructure can strongly drive tourism growth. Tours to the mountainous resort town of Sa Pa in Lao Cai Province have dramatically increased thanks to the expressway, Vietnam’s longest which openned to traffic in 2014, shortening the Hanoi-Lao Cai travel time by half.

Vu The Binh, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said the delta’s tourism products are monotonous due to a lack of investment.

The attractiveness of many of its traditional offerings like floating markets, orchard visits and river tourism is waning, and local authorities have paid little attention to creating more tourism products, which is mostly being done by enterprises, he said.

"But 95 percent of tourism businesses in the delta are small, medium or even micro sized, and lack the resources to invest in new tourism products. So they only use old ones and end up duplicating each other."

Vo Xuan Thu, Regional Director of Thien Minh Group, a leader of Vietnam's travel and hospitality industry, said it is difficult for Mekong Delta localities to attract customers because they have not invested in destination marketing.

In fact, the delta is not in the tour programs of many international travel agencies, and is only offered as an optional tour, he said.

"The provinces need to invest in promoting the delta as a destination with their own distinctive features.

"While it is not too far from HCMC, if the transport infrastructure is improved, combined with good promotion, we can take advantage of the large number of international visitors coming to Ho Chi Minh City," he added.

Last year three out of the 13 world's best destinations listed for year-end travel by U.S. publication Business Insider were in the Mekong Delta.

CNN in September this year said exploring the world’s largest cave, eating pho noodle soup in Hanoi and cruising down the Mekong Delta are among the 13 most memorable experiences in Vietnam.

Hai Tac (Pirate) Archipelago is a famous tourist attraction in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, known for its crystal clear water and pristine landscapes.

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Source - VN Express

'Red lights' as over-tourism threatens #Corsican nature reserve

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"It's nature's magical design," says a tourist guide, waxing poetic as he comments on the impressive red cliffs plunging into a turquoise sea at the Scandola nature reserve on France's Corsica island.

"Amazing!" exclaims Irena Snydrova, a Czech tourist visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site with her family, along with groups from Italy, Spain and France.

Their boat sidles up to the Steps of Paradise, rocks shaped into a stairway some 15 meters long, then glides on to Bad Luck Pass, a former pirates' redoubt.

The ages have sculpted the volcanic cliffs into myriad shapes that beguile the visitor, who might imagine a kissing couple here, a horse's head there, Napoleon's two-cornered hat further on...

The park, created in 1975, is an ecological dream, being a nature reserve and a protected marine zone that is listed by France's coastal protection agency and Natura 2000, in addition to its recognition by UNESCO.

It is a prime destination for the some three million people who visit Corsica each year, 75 percent of them in the summer.

The paradox is that growing numbers of tourists are drawn to Scandola's pristine waters and stunning geological vistas, endangering its fragile ecosystem.

The park, reached only by boat some 40 minutes from the tiny port of Porto, stretches over 10 square kilometers of sea, and a somewhat smaller area of land.

"The reserve is a jewel for Corsica and the Mediterranean, but several red lights are flashing," says marine biologist Charles-Francois Boudouresque, listing flora and fauna at risk, including ospreys, seagrass and fish species such as the brown meagre.

The tourist season coincides with the ospreys' mating season, notes Boudouresque, an emeritus professor at the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography.

Because of over-tourism, ospreys' "reproductive success is zero or near zero, with either no chicks or just one chick" per year, he says.

 Boudouresque, who also heads Scandola's scientific advisory council, says the osprey could become extinct in 50 years.

 Golden egg'

 

Since last month, at the urging of the scientific council, boats must keep a distance of at least 250 meters from ospreys' nests during the breeding season. 

"It's a good start," Boudouresque says.

As for the marine park's fish species, Boudouresque says he thinks the thrumming of the tourist boats is scaring them away.

But a crew member, who gave his name only as Diego, blamed groupers for the declining population of corb. "They eat everything," he told AFP.

Tensions have arisen pitting tour boat operators and fishermen against the reserve's conservationist Jean-Marie Dominici.

Boudouresque says the seagrass "is not in the best shape," blaming the anchors dropped by the many boats -- some of them private vessels without authorized guides.

 "It's bizarre for a nature reserve to see all these boats," said Pierre Gilibert, a 65-year-old doctor, who is a regular visitor. "It might be wise to allow access only to professional boats."

 Many share the opinion that private boats are not sufficiently monitored or informed of ecological concerns. 

 

"This morning we saw people climbing on the rocks and berthing their boats in narrow passageways, which is not allowed," said Gabriel Pelcot, chief mechanic on a cruise ship of the Corsican company Nave Va.

Nave Va, as well as rival Via Mare, uses hybrid vessels: they are powered by diesel up to the edge of the marine park, then switch to electric for a quieter and less polluting presence.

Pelcot notes that this green option is 30 percent more expensive, but he expects it to catch on.

"We must find a compromise between the need for tourists to enjoy this natural treasure and that of not killing the goose that laid the golden egg," Boudouresque says.

The marine biologist is optimistic that general awareness of the problems is growing.

He envisions ways to marry tourism with preservation. One example, he says, would be to focus cameras on ospreys' nests so that they can be observed without being disturbed.

Source - TheJakartaPost 

#Vietnam - Pirate Islands lurk in the shadows of famous peers

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Hai Tac (Pirate) Archipelago in southern Vietnam is not very well known, but it holds its own very comfortably as an outstandingly beautiful beach destination.  

 Hai Tac archipelago is not as prominently known as Phu Quoc or Cat Ba islands, but its pristine landscape has been drawing an increasing number of visitors in recent years.

The archipelago is located in Tien Hai Commune, Ha Tien District, in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang. From the pier in Ha Tien Town, it takes over an hour to reach Hai Tac, which includes 16 islands. A high-speed boat ticket costs VND100,000 ($4.3) one way.

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 In late 17th early 18th centuries, pirates used the archipelago as a base to attack merchant ships of other Southeast Asian countries, giving the archipelago its current name. The picture shows the model of a pirate ship on the Tre Van Islet.

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 Most boat owners taking visitors around the fishing village on the edge of Tre Van Islet. Tran Quy Thanh, a boat owner who has lived on the islet for 36 years, said each tour takes about four to six hours depending on visitors’ preferences.

"Tourists started coming more four years ago. They have helped improve lives here, because locals earn more by selling them food and providing them with accommodation. People here also get to hear many interesting, new things from the tourists," Thanh said.

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A string of hammocks on the beach of a small island next to Doc islet.

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   Some local shops where locals sell refreshment.

There is a concrete road that runs around the Hon Tre island. It takes two hours to cover it on foot.

Source - VN Express

 

The Eiffel Tower is the world's most popular tourist attraction according to Instagram

With Instagram having replaced the good old postcard in the hearts of travelers, the Iron Lady has become the most immortalized attraction on the social network, garnering some 5,849,737 hashtags, according to a report by application Motif. 

How many among us have taken a photo of an iconic monument over the holidays? Chances are that those who did took a photo of the Eiffel Tower, which dominates the listing of the most hashtagged tourist attractions on Instagram.

The Parisian icon is ahead of the Las Vegas Strip, (4,802,560 mentions), and NYC's Times Square (3,949,217 hashtags). The US is further represented on the list by the Grand Canyon, with its 3,433,049 tags. 

There are no Asian destinations in the listing, while the Middle East is represented by the tallest tower in the world, Dubai's Burj Khalifa (3,502,116 hashtags). London comes in with Big Ben (3,007,317 hashtags) and the London Eye (2,980,066 hashtags). 

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MacOS-native photo-integration Motif came up with the listing by analyzing the number of hashtags published to Insta since the social network's October 2010 debut, extrapolating the data to identity the most visited destinations and cities worldwide.

The next two most popular French destinations on the ‘Gram are Disneyland Paris (3,940,249 hashtags) and the Louvre (2,919,469 hashtags).

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Source - TheJakartaPost

#Italy - Lovers of Tuscany's 'paradise' beach have factory to thank

Holidaymakers splash in the turquoise waters of the Rosignano Solvay beach in Tuscany and laze on its pristine white sands -- most of them fully aware that the picture-perfect swimming spot owes its allure to a nearby factory.

"I discovered it on Google Maps," said Dutch tourist Lieuya, who traveled to the beach with his family to enjoy a setting more reminiscent of the Caribbean than of northern Italy.

"I was told it's not dangerous, that the colour comes from the soda factory next door," he told AFP.

Questions have lingered for decades over why the sea and sand are such startling colours -- with some environmentalists suggesting the phenomenon is caused by heavy metals emitted by the plant.

The beach, about four kilometers (two-and-a-half miles) long, is named after the Solvay factory, which produces soda ash for making glass as well as sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda.

The plant strenuously denies polluting the surrounding coastline.

Tourists taking a dip or settling down in beach chairs for a light pasta lunch are not worried about the striking contrast between the waters off Rosignano Solvay and those of the nearby Monte alla Rena beach.

"Every time I come here, I think that if swimming is allowed by local, regional and national authorities, we can believe them when they say that the water is clean," says Italian teacher Marina, who declined to give her last name.

A notice from the regional environmental protection agency Arpat at the beach entrance says the water quality is "excellent".

Swimming is banned along a small stretch of the beach, but that is because of a strong current in the area.

The plant, some 25 kilometers south of the port city Livorno, opened at the start of the last century and a new town -- Rosignano Solvay -- sprang up to house workers and their families.

Today, the global chemical giant operates in 61 countries and boasts some 24,500 employees.

- Reflection of the sky -

"Solvay was like a mother to this area of Tuscany. We called it 'mamma'," Leonardo Martinelli, a journalist born in the town and whose mother worked at Solvay for half a century, told AFP.

Belgian industrialist Ernest Solvay, the plant's founder, "guaranteed well-being by opening a school, a hospital and a theater," he said.

The factory has ensured "the unemployment rate has always been low," he added.

The group's industrial director Davide Papavero told AFP the company "respects all the rules of a high-risk site".

"The plant... only discharges powdery deposits of limestone, a harmless substance that is safe for the environment, but explains the white color of the sand," he said.

The startling blue of the water is caused by the reflection of the sky against the white sea floor, Papavero added.

Local mayor Daniele Donati also insists the plant's activities "do not pose any health problems".

But Maurizio Marchi, from Italy's Medicina Democratica health association, says the plant is a blight.

"The reality is that for a century, this place has been a Solvay landfill, an industrial landfill," he insists.

Environmentalists have also deplored the gutting of limestone hills near San Vincenzo and mass extraction of rock salt.

Manolo Morandini, a journalist with local daily Il Tirreno who has written extensively on the subject, says Marchi's concerns would once have been valid, but no longer.

"In the 1980s it was indeed a toxic beach. But the production cycle that used mercury and heavy metals has been changed," he said.

He says the famous white beach is nothing more than an "artificial" construct -- one which nonetheless offers holidaymakers a slice of paradise.

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Indonesia - Mount Slamet to welcome hikers starting this weekend

The hiking trail to Mount Slamet through Bambangan, Kutabawa village in Karangreja district, Purbalingga, is set to be reopened on March 2 following improved weather and ecosystem recovery efforts over the past few months.

"Based on the consideration of weather and hiking trails that have been improved, we have decided to reopen the hiking trail to Mount Slamet through Bambangan in Kutabawa starting March 2," Prayitno, tourism department head of the Purbalingga Tourism, Sports and Youth Agency, told kompas.com on Friday. 

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The trail had previously been closed since Jan. 10 as part of an effort to improve the ecosystem balance in the area and preserve the flora and fauna.

"Following massive hiking activities over New Year's Eve, the trail needed to be rehabilitated, hence it was closed temporarily," said Prayitno.

The agency is said to have deployed two workers to guard the first hiking post and attend to cleanup activities and the maintenance of plants. 

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Vietnam - Ha Long Bay footage on American channel wows viewers

 A short video-clip on Ha Long Bay aired by ABC News drew admiring comments and ‘likes’ from viewers.

The video of limestone karst mountains rising spectacularly from turquoise waters in the northern province of Quang Ninh was broadcast by the American channel Tuesday.

The footage was filmed by reporter David Muir, who commented: "And looking out the window, the incredible sight. The limestone formations as far as we could see. And from the ground, the tour boats dwarfed by those formations."

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Viewers were impressed too. As of Friday, the video had been watched by 4,000 people.

"Thank you for sharing the beauty of Vietnam," said Victoria Heim.

"My wife and I had our second honeymoon there. The place looks so beautiful from September to November. We booked a luxury tour boat and spent 3 days there," said Frank.

"Looks just beautiful, UNESCO heritage sites are always worth the time to visit," wrote Stella Bar.

Ha Long Bay has been one of Vietnam's biggest tourism magnets for some time now. U.S. travel guide site Smarter Travel has described it as one of the best ecological spots in the world, while Business Insider has advised that an overnight Ha Long cruise trip is a "must-try" travel experience in Asia.

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The bay was a shooting site for Hollywood blockbuster "Kong: Skull Island" which hit local theaters in 2017.

Americans are among the top foreign visitors to Vietnam, with 687,226 arrivals last year, an 11 percent year-on-year increase.

Thanks to simplified visa requirements, Vietnam has emerged among the fastest-growing international travel destinations for Americans, who are big spenders in the country, shelling out on average $3,233 per trip, according to a survey released last year by travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth.

Source - VN Express

#Brazil tops TripAdvisor ranking of best beaches 2019

Brazil has bagged bragging rights to being home to best beach in the world thanks to Baia do Sancho, which took the top spot on TripAdvisor's annual Travelers' Choice Awards. 

The ranking is based on the quantity and quality of traveler reviews and ratings for beaches over a 12-month period. 

Baia do Sancho outranked 352 beaches for the top spot and is described by TripAdvisor members as "magical," "extraordinary" and "paradisiac." 

The top 10 beaches are distributed throughout the Western part of the world, with the conspicuous absence of any destinations in Asia, Africa, the Middle East or Oceania. 

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Here are the top 10 beaches 2019 according to TripAdvisor: 

1. Baia do Sancho, Brazil
2. Varadero Beach, Cuba 
3. Eagle Beach, Aruba
4. La Concha Beach, Spain
5. Grace Bay Beach, Turks & Caicos
6. Clearwater Beach, Florida
7. Spiaggia dei Conigli, Sicily
8. Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman
9. Playa Norte, Mexico
10. Seven Mile Beach, Jamaica  

Source - TheJakartaPost 

#Indonesia - Bromo park closes volcano to all visitors for Nyepi

Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) is closing all public access to Mount Bromo for 24 hours from 5 a.m. Western Indonesia Time (WIB) on March 7 to 5 a.m. on March 8 to respect the local Hindu observance of Nyepi (Day of Silence).

Mount Bromo is home to the Tengger indigenous tribe, which follows a unique form of Hinduism that shares some similarities with Balinese Hinduism.

"The closure of all tourism at Mount Bromo is to respect all Hindus who are observing Nyepi," TNBTS agency head John Kenedie said in a statement on Thursday, as quoted by Antara.

The closure affects all access to the mountain, including the entrance gates of the National Park Management Resort (RPTN) Cemorolawang in Tengger Laut Pasir (Tengger Sand Sea), the RPTN Mount Pananjakan and the RPTN Coban Trisula.

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Access routes will be closed to Mount Bromo from Ngadas village in Sukapura district, Probolinggo, and Wonokitri village in Tosari district, Pasuruan. Access routes from Malang and Lumajang to Blok Jemplang will also be closed.

The closure applies to public access points within an 8-kilometer radius of Bromo, from the entrance gates in Ngadas village, Wonokitri village and Blok Jemplang to the Sand Sea. 

Mount Bromo is an active volcano that stands at a height of 2,329 meters above sea level area in the Tengger massif, which stretches across the four regencies of Probolinggo, Pasuruan, Lumajang and Malang. 

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Vietnam - Son Doong Cave an incredible find

The Son Doong Cave in Quang Binh Province is among the most incredible places in the world recently found, The Telegraph says.

The cave, part of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in central Vietnam, is the world’s largest, but it did not feature on Vietnam’s tourism map until it was opened for tourists in 2013.

The Telegraph has included the once-hidden cave on the list of 11 newly-discovered places that are worth an amazing exploration journey.

Son Doong opened to tourists in 2013, four years after members of the British Cave Research Association concluded their initial exploration and declared it the world's largest cave.

The five kilometer-long system, which is 150 meters high and 200 meters wide, contains at least 150 individual caves, a dense subterranean jungle and several underground rivers.

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 Due to limited space, registration for Son Doong tours must be made well in advance. According to Oxalis, now the only company licensed to bring tourists to the cave, only 300 spaces are available for 2019 tours.

A four-day expedition costs $3,000, and there are bus routes running from Hanoi to Dong Hoi, the capital town of Quang Binh, and then to the park.

The Quang Binh government recently raised the limit for number of tourists allowed to visit the cave from 640 to 900 a year.

Other incredible places that are recent finds include the Pico da Neblina mountain in Brazil, Xianren Bridge in China, Cape Melville in Australia, Machu Picchu citadel in Peru and Mount Mabu in Mozambique.

Last month, the U.K.-based travel guide publisher, Lonely Planet, named Son Doong Cave in Quang Binh among the best places to visit in 2019.

The New York Times has named it among the world’s top eight travel destinations, while the National Geographic has called it a "natural wonder."

 Source - VN Express

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Tourists flee Thai islands as Tropical Storm Pabuk looms

Tens of thousands of tourists have fled the Thai resort islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao in a mass exodus ahead of Tropical Storm Pabuk which is set to bring heavy rains, wind and seven-meter waves, officials said Thursday.

The islands, hugely popular with holiday-makers especially during the peak Christmas and New Year season, have emptied out since Wednesday as tourists packed onto ferries bound for the southern Thai mainland, with swimming banned and boats set to suspend services.

Pabuk, Thailand's first tropical storm in the area outside of the monsoon season for around 30 years, is poised to batter Koh Phangan and Koh Tao as well as Koh Samui on Friday night, before cutting into the mainland.

No official evacuation order has been given but tourists are leaving in droves.

"I think the islands are almost empty... between 30,000 to 50,000 have left since the New Year's Eve countdown parties," Krikkrai Songthanee, Koh Phangnan district chief, told AFP.

The acting mayor of Koh Tao, one of Southeast Asia's finest diving spots, said boats to Chumphon on the mainland were crammed with tourists, but several thousand guests were still on the island likely to brave the storm.

Pabuk was packing winds of 104 kilometers per hour (65 mph) but was unlikely to intensify into a full blown typhoon, according to forecasters.

"But we expect waves as high as five or seven meters near the eye of the storm. Normally in the Gulf of Thailand there are only two metre high waves," Phuwieng Prakammaintara, director general at the Thai Meteorological Department, told reporters.

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"It's difficult to predict the severity of the storm so people should comply with authorities' recommendations."

On Koh Samui, the closest of the trio of islands, a Russian man drowned on Wednesday after his family ignored warnings not to go into the sea.

"A family of three went swimming but the strong current caught a 56-year-old man who drowned," Police Captain Boonnam Srinarat of Samui Police told AFP.

"Island officials announced the warning and put up the red 'danger' flags... but maybe the family did not think the situation was that serious."

Authorities on the island said they were preparing shelters for any tourists who decide to wait out the storm.

Pabuk, which means a giant catfish in Lao, is also expected to dump heavy rain across the south, including tourist hotspots in the Andaman Sea such as Krabi and the southernmost provinces bordering Malaysia of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala.

Source - TheJakartaPost