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Japan’s return to whaling could hurt growing whale-watching business

Japan’s thriving whale watching industry faces upset following the country’s resumption of commercial whaling after a 31-year ban, according to tour group operators.

Tokyo withdrew from the International Whaling Commission and began whaling in its coastal waters (up to 22km from land) on July 1, in a controversial move that has sparked criticism from activists and anti-whaling countries.

Japan’s return to commercial whaling comes at a time when the whale-watching business is gaining traction; whale-watching in Okinawa pictured

The move is at odds […]

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How engineering can boost tourism in Indonesia

Indonesia has the perfect landscape and resources to make it one of the most spectacular tourist destinations on earth. But getting to that point will require design-led thinking and a flexible approach to engineering planning, opines Varman Ramachandran, Aurecon’s country director for Indonesia and client director – energy, resources and manufacturing for Asia.

Indonesia makes no secret of its economic ambitions. The country’s president Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was elected to a second term this past May, and within a matter of […]

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Opening of JW Marriott Sanya Haitang Bay

JW Marriott, part of Marriott International, Inc., today announced the opening of JW Marriott Sanya Haitang Bay, located on the Haitang Bay, the National Coast of China. The property marks JW Marriott’s second resort on Hainan and eighteenth hotel in Greater China, seamlessly blending in with the lush landscape of Haitang Bay and illustrating the beguiling charm of the entire coast.

Adjacent to Yalong Bay National Tourism Resort, Haitang Bay boasts stunning scenery including tropical forests, white sandy beaches and shimmering […]

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Why Did U.S.-Based Dream Hotels Drop Its Asia Expansion?

New York-based Dream Hotel Group has evidently dropped plans to expand in Asia, closing its regional office after recently hiring new executives to push for growth.

The group’s development team on its website no longer includes Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa region, only the Americas, Latin America & Caribbean.

Dream first established an Asia-Pacific development team in Bangkok in early 2017. Its presence in Asia was dampened by last week’s news that the developer of Dream Phuket Hotel & Spa, Singapore-based Castlewood Group, is in liquidation. The […]

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Zannier Hotels to open Bai San Ho in Vietnam

Zannier Hotels is set to make a splash in Vietnam with the opening of a new beachfront resort in summer 2020. The Belgium-based hospitality company has developed a following for its sophisticated approach to luxury, championing simplicity and authenticity (chic without ever being showy). There’s Phum Baitang in Cambodia (a favorite of Angelina Jolie’s), Le Chalet in the French Alps (an intimate 12-room hotel in Megève), 1898 The Post in Belgium (a landmark building in the heart of lively Ghent), and a […]

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Indonesia looks to industrial past to expand tourism market

JAKARTA – Away from the tried and tested itineraries, tours of closed coal mines and other industrial heritage sites from Indonesia’s colonial past are increasingly attracting visitors, helping President Joko Widodo toward his goal of significantly growing the country’s tourism industry.

The country’s tourism sector received a major boost in July when the UNESCO World Heritage Committee registered the Ombilin Coal Mine, in the small mountain town of Sawahlunto, as a World Heritage Site.

The Ombilin mine, opened by the Dutch in […]

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