Educational Travel Sector in Myanmar Taking Shape

In an effort to develop a new market segment in Myanmar tourism industry, Myanmar Experiences Center (MEX) is pioneering to develop tailor-made educational travel products in the country.

MEX is an offspring of Yangon based Mira Travels which conceptualized the project during Tourism Export Coaching Program organized by the Netherland’s Centre for Promotion of Developing countries (CBI).

MEX’s experience programs integrate the concepts of community based tourism and sustainable tourism according to Dr. Lu Mon, founder of MEX and Mira Travels, which is a Travelife Partner for Sustainable Standard in Tourism.

“Myanmar tour operators have been operating study tours but I do not recognize a specialist in the field of educational travel. So we took the leap at student travel and volunteer travel programs and we are hoping to link up with regional service providers offering similar products.”, said Lu Mon.

Myanmar’s rich cultures, diverse landscapes and ethnicity, and history as well as the perspective of being a developing country with name tag of Asia’s final frontier for economic growth and development, offer a perfect environment for students and universities to conduct study tours to the country.

“I am excited to see how new concepts in tourism in Myanmar integrating together- responsible travel, community based tourism and educational travel. It’s a positive impact for stakeholders.” said Lu Mon, who is also a co-founder of Myanmar Sustainable Tour Operator Network (MSTON).

Source.

Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO)
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Christchurch Convention Centre name unveiled at MEETINGS 2018

Christchurch Convention Centre

Te Pae has been selected as the official name for the Christchurch Convention Centre opening in 2020.

Unveiling the name at CINZ MEETINGS 2018 in Auckland today, Ōtākaro Limited Strategy and Property Opportunities General Manager, Keith Beal said Te Pae (pronounced te pie) references a gathering place.

“The name is a unique yet simple way for domestic and international visitors to identify this premium, purpose-built convention and exhibition venue.”

“We have worked with local cultural advisers, Matapopore on a name that reflects not only what this facility is, but also what makes it different from any other.”

“The exterior design of Te Pae has been derived from the Ngāi Tahu creation story of the Southern Alps in New Zealand’s South Island. The 429,000 individual panels that make up the façade will resemble the colours and curves of Canterbury’s iconic braided rivers that flow down from the mountains.”

These features have been carried through to the branding to reinforce the importance of the surrounding area to the quality of visitor experience.

In a globally competitive sector a range of factors will set Te Pae apart when it opens in 2020.

“As a central city landmark supported by great hospitality or manaakitanga, Te Pae will be enjoyable and memorable. Accommodation, shops, bars, restaurants and parks are all a few steps away and drive less than two hours in any direction from Christchurch and you will find a scenic part of the South Island,” says Mr Beal.

“Prior to 2011, Christchurch was New Zealand’s business events capital, hosting 24 per cent of all conferences on a per-delegate-day basis. We are seeing that demand returning with international organisers telling us they are excited by an attractive, safe, compact city and the opportunity to experience New Zealand’s bucket list destinations.”

Several prestigious events have been confirmed for 2021, including the five-day Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB) conference, the first time New Zealand has hosted this triennial event for 900 leading biochemists. The same year the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) International Biology Symposium will bring 350 of the world’s top Antarctic scientists to Christchurch.

Te Pae will be capable of hosting up to 2000 delegates for a variety of national and international events. It will include a 1400-delegate auditorium, a 200-booth exhibition hall, banquet hall and 24 meeting rooms overlooking the picturesque Victoria Square and Ōtākaro/Avon River.

www.tepae.co.nz

Kawayu Eco Museum Center

Kotan as “so beautiful village with the back of the Lake”

Kotan means vlillage in Ainu
It is not well known that from when Japanese indigenous Ainu People started to live here because they did not have a word characteristics. Kussharo Kotan was recorded in the book in 1859 at the first place. This is a book of Kusuri Diary rewritten by Takeshiro Matsuura who was ordered by Ezo Shougunate to research Hokkaido. According to the record, there were seven houses at the Kotan and writer raved the Kotan as “so beautiful village with the back of the Lake”. You can now see Alter called Nusasana and gauge which was used to have child bear inside.

Visit Ainu Folklore Museum

Ainu Folklore Museum

Earthenware, any other old equipment and Remains of 8000-6000 years old were found around Kotan. You can see these items in Kussharo Kotan Ainu Folklore Museum located in the Kotan. This museum opened in 1983 to introduce Life of Kussharo Ainu. You can see the valuable movies of hunting Ezo-deer at Kawayu Peninsula and “Iomante” which was one of the most important ceremony for Ainu People.

Open：29th April ～31st October
Time：9:00AM ～ ５:00PM
administration：Adult420yen, Child340yen
Group（more than 20people）Adult340yen Child200yen
℡０１５－４８２－２３４０（Teshikaga -town）

kotan Onsen very attractive!

kotan Onsen

Openair bath “Kotan” is located along the lake. Dresing rooms are set and a big rock is between mens and womens. As manager of Onsen cleans bath regularly, you may take bath freely. This Onsen becomes famous spot because you can see sunset, starry sky or swans in winter. However, this onsen is just next to locals. Please protect manners when you take bath.

http://www.kawayu-eco-museum.com/english/kotan/

www.jnto.org.au
www.facebook.com/VisitJapanAU/

Exhibition on S’tieng ethnic group opens in Ho Chi Minh City

S’tieng ethnic group exhibition

An exhibition on the culture of S’tieng ethnic group has opened at the Museum of Vietnamese History in Ho Chi Minh City.

The event is to celebrate the Viet Nam Ethnic Group’s Culture Day and the International Museum Day.

On display are about 120 exhibits reflecting the culture of S’tieng people through tangible and intangible heritages, including their houses, costumes, literature, production and hunting tools, jewellery and musical instruments, among others.

A highlight of the exhibition is a set of S’tieng people’s traditional gong, a notable cultural trait of the ethnic group which has been passed down to many generations.

S’tieng is an ethnic group living in Southeast Asia, mainly in Vietnam and Cambodia. In Vietnam, the group resides in the provinces of Dong Nai, Lam Dong, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc and Tay Ninh.

The southern province of Binh Phuoc has the highest number of S’tieng people with nearly 100,000.

The exhibition runs until August 19.
Source: VNA

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism

China to Develop Integrated Tourism and Lower Ticket Prices

China

On March 5, China’s State Council Premier Li Keqiang delivered the 2018 Report on the Work of the Government at the First Session of the 13th National People’s Congress of China. In the government report, Li vows to “create integrated tourism demonstration zones, and lower ticket prices at key state (state-owned) tourist sites.”

The two call-to-actions compliment each other for the goal of improving travel experiences in China. For the inbound visitors to China, integrated tourism means a wholesome experience to destinations in China in and outside of the “tourist traps”; and lower ticket prices will encourage budget travelers to spend more on enjoying the local lifestyle and activities.

Following the vow of Premier Li, the renowned Xishuangbanna scenic site in Southwest China’s Yunnan province has just announced it will be free for locals, which is the first of its kind in China and sets a good example for others to follow.

The ticket prices of tourist sites vary significantly in different regions of China. The Forbidden City (Palace Museum) in China’s capital Beijing currently charges 60 RMB (less than 10 USD) for peak-season entry, while another equally famous UNESCO world heritage site, Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan, China’s mid-west area, charges 300 RMB (approximately 48 USD) for entry.

*China National Tourist Office  www.cnto.org/

MTF 2018 PLASTIC FREE KIT INTRODUCED

Single-use plastic is one of the biggest issues we face in today’s world, and the travel and tourism industry can do its part to help solve the problem.

The 2018 Mekong Tourism Forum tries to do its small part to raise awareness of the issue and make the event plastic free.

On June 28th, we will put the Plastic Issue front and center and invite anybody to join the discussion how we as an industry can reduce single-use plastic in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Also, for the second year in a row, MTF 2018 is has designed a limited-edition refillable water bottle, as part of our MTF Plastic Free Kit.

Join Mekong Tourism Forum for free in Nakhon Phanom from June 26-29, 2018, and be part of the change.

Most of us reading this piece will no doubt work in the travel and tourism sector and therefore will have some awareness of the scale of plastic the industry attracts and consumes. In the last 10 years, we have made more plastic than ever before. In this year alone, every man, woman and child will consume on average 300 pounds or 136 kilos of single-use plastic. By 2025, 10 times more plastic each year is estimated to be dumped in our oceans. Furthermore by 2050 the population is expected to grow to a whopping 10 billion people and our plastic consumption is expected to triple. The truth is, only a fraction will be recycled.

These are just some of the facts we learned watching the Plastic Oceans documentary this week, and there are more here:

• Eight million tons of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans every year
• In the western Mediterranean recent findings show 1-2 ratio of plastic to plankton (microscopic creatures eaten by a variety of marine life including whales).
• Scientists estimate that there are more than 5 trillion particles (pieces of plastic) in our oceans.
• As plastic bottles and debris float on top of the ocean they are broken up by sunlight, waves and salt to create what is known as microplastics.
• Toxins such as pesticides and heavy metals entering the ocean hitchhike onto microplastics, causing devastating effects on marine life when they are ingested.
• A Bryde’s whale was reported to have 6sqm of plastic inside it when it washed up on the shoreline off Cairns in Australia. The post-mortem found that the whale’s stomach was tightly packed with mostly plastic checkout bags.
• Birds are affected too: shearwater birds and albatross are often found dead with their stomachs full of microplastics. One shearwater bird was found with up to 270 pieces of micro plastics inside its body, that’s the equivalent of 6-8 kilos of plastic inside a human being.
• The plastics and toxins found in marine life can (and do) enter the food chain, and end up on our plates.

Our oceans are in trouble. As if the rise in ocean acidification, coral bleaching, and the overexploitation of fish stocks wasn’t enough of a crisis, the staggering levels of marine pollution is cause for very real concern and requires concerted efforts from every person on this planet. An estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the ocean every year and every square kilometre of ocean holds an average of 13,000 pieces of plastic litter according to the Plastics Oceans Foundation and the United Nations. Plastics account for a sizeable portion of marine waste, and that has to change.

Plastics have both a direct and indirect effect on the planet. Plastics directly entering the oceans account for a massive percentage of marine pollution, and plastics also play a role in climate change, warming the world’s oceans. Fabien Cousteau, grandson of world famous ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, is an ocean advocate and filmmaker. In the summer of 2014, the younger Cousteau lived under the ocean for 31 days to conduct science experiences and give the world a “better grasp on what oceans mean to climate change, and a better understanding of what the over-consumption of natural resources means to us as a species.” Dubbed Mission 31, the scientists on board researched a broad range of issues affecting our oceans, from the effects of man-made pollutants like fertilisers to how zooplankton respond to prolonged changes in water temperature.

This research is just beginning to increase our understanding of the devastating effect plastics have had on the planet’s oceans.

Proudly contributed by Jens Thraenhart Company contributor Mekong Tourism Office

http://www.mekongtourism.org/

1ST INTERNATIONAL MICE CONFERENCE AND FORUM

The 1st International MICE Conference and Forum

MICE Capabilities Department-Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), University of North Texas (UNT) and MICE Academic Cluster, as a strategic partner, will organize ‘The 1st International MICE Conference and Forum’ during 29-30 August 2018 at Amari Watergate Hotel Bangkok.

We open for all target groups to use our platform, at the conference, scholars in MICE studies and those who have worked in the area of MICE development can present your paper/review articles related to MICE area. This will be beneficial to undergraduate and graduate students, lecturers, and MICE professionals, both nationally and internationally.

Therefore, we would like to cordially invite you to participate in this important event to keep you up to date with the latest trends happening in the industry.

Dates - 29/08/2018 - 30/08/2018For more information, please visit our official page http://www.tcebmiceforum.com

Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO)
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Manly Fun Run & Walk

Manly Fun Run & Walk

The Manly Rotary Club are again opening the streets of Manly for the 9th annual Manly Scenic Fun Run, starting and finishing on the beach-front opposite the Corso.

All ages and levels of fitness are welcome whether you run the 10km or walk/run the 2km or 5km. The starting/finish line and entertainment area on the Manly beachfront will be a hive of activity. If you or any members of your party would rather not run or walk there will be plenty of other things to enjoy before, during and after the event. Why not buy a commemorative Fun Run T-shirt and/or cap? Get your photo taken at our Selfie Stand. Listen to some great music. Watch our cheer squad and dancers. Line up the kids at the children’s face painting stand. Enjoy a complimentary massage. Grab a coffee and a sausage sizzle while soaking up the great view of Manly Beach.

The Manly Fun Run and Walk will give you a great morning out keeping the kids entertained without breaking the bank! We hope the whole community will join us in raising funds for our local charities. All of the money collected by us for the Fun Run goes to local charities & Rotary humanitarian projects. Over the last 9 years we are proud to say we have raised over $1.5million for these purposes.

Full details on the website(Opens in a new window) and follow the prompts to register.

Manly Fun Run & Walk

When - Sunday, 3 June 2018 - 8:00am

Location - Manly Corso, Manly NSW 2095

Pricing - $25 - 45

Manly Rotary Club
Name: Ty Stokoe, Phone: 0478 898 334
Email: manlyfunrun@gmail.com
Website: Manly Fun Run

www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/whats-on/event-calendar

Archaeological excavations at Hai Van Quan

Hai Van Quan (Hai Van Gate)

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has allowed the Hue Monuments Conservation Center to coordinate with Vietnam National Museum of History to conduct archaeological excavations at Hai Van Quan (Hai Van Gate).

The relic site is situated in Lang Co town, Phu Loc District, the central province of Thua Thien - Hue, and Hoa Hiep precinct, Lien Chieu District, Da Nang City.

The excavations will be conducted until September 3rd on an area of 600m2. Discovered objects will be kept at the Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities to avoid damage.

The Hue Monuments Conservation Center and the Vietnam National Museum of History will submit an initial report to the Department of Cultural Heritage after three months and a scientific report after one year.

Hai Van is a mountain springing from the Truong Son range and pointing to the sea. On its peak, a king of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) built the giant brick gate in 1826 to mark the border of the former Hue imperial capital’s land and name it Hai Van Quan. It was recognized as national relic site in 2017.
Source: CPV

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism

THE CELEBRATION STEPS -CELEBRATE YOUR PARK

The Celebration Steps

The newest addition to the Parklands landscape - The Celebration Steps - was opened in December 2017. Engraved pavers were laid on the top level of The Steps, reviving this much-loved area overlooking Willow Pond and Fly Casting Pond, creating an idyllic place for celebration and contemplation.

There is still space available on the top step extending the opportunity for park lovers to donate to a paver at The Celebration Steps.

PHASE II IS NOW OPEN
Don't miss this chance to honour your family, express your love, recognise the life of a loved one, or mark an anniversary, birthday, wedding or birth.
Perhaps you want to thank the Park for the endless memories you’ve shared here or you could even thank your furry friend for their loyalty and companionship.

• Donate $500 (it’s tax deductible)
• Be recognised with a personally engraved paver at The Celebration Steps, to be laid mid-late 2018
• Receive a personalised certificate to keep or give to your loved one (see an example, 781kb)
• Upon completion of Phase II you will be invited to celebrate at a community event

Funds raised by Centennial Parklands Foundation go to support and enhance the three magnificent Parks of Centennial Parklands.

In this special birthday year the Foundation will give Centennial Park a 130th birthday present.

Please refer to the Celebration Steps Paver Policy (149kb) for more details.
If you would prefer to apply offline, please download the application form (74kb).

FIND OUT MORE
If you would like to speak to a Foundation staff member about The Celebration Steps, please contact us on (02) 9339 6653.

View our Frequently Asked Questions.