The airline plans to start daily flights from Bangkok to Da Nang – a coastal city in central Vietnam – on October 5, followed by Bangkok – Taichung at 5 flights/week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Novemeber 3.

Both cities has become popular destinations in the region for their unique charm and various attractions.

The Index ranked Bangkok as the number one global destination city for international overnight visitors. It is the fifth time in six years (since 2012) – and the third consecutive year – the Thai capital has grabbed the top spot. Phuket and Pattaya, both popular tourist destinations, also ranked in the global top 20 destination cities at number 12 and 18, respectively.

For the first time, Phuket broke into the top 10 destination cities by dollars spent. This year the GDCI expanded expanded from 132 cities (in 2017) to 162. It is the first year the global findings have included Phuket and Pattaya.

With over 20 million international overnight visitors, Bangkok edged out London (with 19.83 million visitors), which ranked second for the second consecutive year. For Bangkok, the top three feeder countries remain the same as 2017; China, Japan and South Korea.

Donald Ong, country manager for Thailand and Myanmar, Mastercard said, “The fact that Thailand is the only country to have three destinations in the top 20 underscores the importance of robust infrastructure, a good mix of business and leisure attractions, and the unique local culture that Thailand is renowned for. We recognise the efforts of government agencies, including the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), as important factors in maintaining above-average growth in the tourism sector.

Thailand has hosted a number of international events in the past year, while the Thai government has expanded visa exemptions for short-stay tourists and implemented special immigration checkpoints for Chinese tourists. These factors, paired with the fact that Bangkok is seen as more affordable than other major cities including Paris, Singapore and Seoul, are major factors contributing to Bangkok’s continued success as the number one destination city worldwide. We are also particularly delighted to see Phuket join Bangkok in the top 10 destination cities by dollars spent.”

The annual growth of international overnight visitors to the Top 10 destination cities was up across the broad in 2017, except for Seoul which saw a dip. The forecast for 2018 indicates across-the-board growth, with Istanbul expecting the largest uptick in visitors.

“International travel is crucial to many urban economies, enriching the lives of both residents and tourists. The bar is rising for cities to innovate to provide both a memorable and authentic experience,” said Miguel Gamio Jr, executive vice president, global cities for Mastercard.

Wantana Jangprajak, deputy director general of the DOT, said community-based tourism in secondary provinces had been consistently expanding and that has helped strengthen the regional finances.

“The DOT has recently organised a major press visit and briefing of these provinces which is in line with the policy of the government and the Tourism and Sports Minister to promote culture and way of life in 55 secondary provinces. The activity was also to accommodate the growing interests in community-based tourism,” said Wantana.

To boost tourism confidence, the DOT has been working with communities that show distinct cultural identity to ensure that the quality and safety of their homestays meet the DOT standards, she said.

The airline plans to start daily flights from Bangkok to Vietnam’s Danang from October 15, followed by Bangkok – Taichung in Taiwan with five flights a week from November 3. Both cities have recently become popular destinations

Thai Vietjet is offering promotional prices until October 1 on all flights to Chaing Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Krabi, Da Lat, Danang and Taichung for flights until March 2019.

The index ranked Bangkok as the number one global destination city for international overnight visitors. It is the fifth time since 2012 – and the third consecutive year – the Thai capital has grabbed the top spot.

Phuket came 12 and Pattaya 18.

For the first time, Phuket broke into the top 10 destinations by dollars spent. This year the GDCI expanded from 132 cities in 2017 to 162 and it is the first year it has included Phuket and Pattaya.

With over 20 million international overnight visitors, Bangkok edged out London (with 19.8 million visitors), which ranked second for the second consecutive year. For Bangkok, the top three feeder countries remain China, Japan and South Korea.

Donald Ong, Mastercard’s Thailand and Myanmar chief, said: “The fact that Thailand is the only country to have three destinations in the top 20 underscores the importance of robust infrastructure, a good mix of business and leisure attractions and the unique culture that Thailand is renowned for. We recognise the efforts of government agencies, including the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), as important factors in maintaining above-average growth in the tourism sector.

“Thailand has hosted a number of international events in the past year, while the Thai government has expanded visa exemptions for short-stay tourists and implemented special immigration checkpoints for Chinese tourists. These factors, paired with the fact that Bangkok is seen as more affordable than other major cities, including Paris, Singapore and Seoul, are major factors contributing to Bangkok’s continued success as the number one destination city worldwide. We are also particularly delighted to see Phuket join Bangkok in the top 10 destination cities by dollars spent.”

Although the effects of the Hokkaido earthquake, which registered a maximum of 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, still remain, the tourism industry in Hokkaido is showing signs of recovery, as operations of some facilities have returned to normal levels.

On Sunday in Sapporo Odori Park, Sapporo Autumn Fest 2018 attracted a large number of people. The period of the food event has been shortened by eight days due to the earthquake and power outages. According to the organizing committee, the number of visitors to the event on Sunday was about 10 percent higher than a week before.

A nursing care worker, 39, came from Settsu, Osaka Prefecture, for an idol group’s concert in Sapporo on Sunday.

“I couldn’t make up my mind about whether I should go until the last minute because I was worried about aftershocks. But I didn’t feel any impact of the earthquake here,” she said with a smile.

Every year, about 10,000 people visit Mt. Hakodate Ropeway a day. During the previous three-day weekend on Sept. 15-17, the number of visitors was about 60 percent of usual numbers. But on Sunday, visitors came one after another in the morning, and there was a 40-minute wait at night to see the evening view of Hakodate.

Niseko Northern Resort An’nupuri, a hotel in Niseko, Hokkaido, suffered cancellations right after the earthquake, but the number of guests had recovered to 94 percent of recent years’ occupancy figures on Saturday.

New Chitose Airport closed due to the earthquake which took place in the early hours of Sept. 6. Domestic and international flights resumed Sept. 7 and Sept. 8, respectively. According to airline companies, the boarding rate for domestic flights was about 60 percent immediately after the resumption. But the reservation rate for the three-day-weekend period from Saturday reached 80 percent to 90 percent.

However, damage to the tourism industry as a whole across Hokkaido caused by the spread of inaccurate information is still serious. The prefectural government and other entities concerned will update information in order to limit misunderstanding.Speech

Kui Buri district chief Chatree Chanweerachai said on Friday that Ban Ruam Thai, adjacent to Kui Buri National Park, had been selected for the Otop (One Tambon One Product) programme because of its tourism potential.

Residents lead tourist to observe the wild elephants and the many gaurs living on 1,500 rai of grassland and the animals are never disturbed.

Visitors also get to sample regional food specialities and purchase locally made products.

It’s become the buzzword in the travel industry in recent years, used to denote destinations that have suffered negatively from the effects of overcrowding, reducing the quality of life for locals and the travel experience for tourists.

The topic was also one of the key themes of the U.N. World Tourism Organization’s Global Summit on Urban Tourism, currently being held in Seoul, South Korea.

To better understand the phenomenon, researchers studied eight European cities where overtourism has become a hot topic: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Munich, Salzburg and Tallinn.

Developing tourist activities outside the city center and popular tourist attraction; promoting experiences during off-peak months; and using new technologies like real-time apps to monitor crowd sizes at popular attractions are among some of the 11 strategies and 68 measures identified in the report.

Other recommendations include reviewing opening times of visitor attractions; creating specific drop-off zones for tourist buses to avoid traffic congestion; and producing city guides that highlight hidden, off-the-beaten-path attractions.

According to UNWTO stats, international tourist arrivals are expected to grow by 3 percent annually, reaching 1.8 billion tourists by 2030.

The Phuket Hotel Association’s 65 member properties, representing nearly 11,000 rooms on the island, say they have already reduced the volume and types of single-use plastics in operation and will eliminate the use of plastic water bottles in guest rooms by 2019.

When implemented next year, Phuket will become one of the first tourist destinations in the world to have made such a large commitment to managing marine pollution and addressing the problem.

During the project, Dr Marissa Jablonski, a US waste management expert, investigated plastic use and waste management at the island’s hotels and resorts.

She offered sustainability solutions during 45 site visits, developed a customised best practices list, conducted six workshops for hotel leadership and staff, started a green supplier list, and trained staff on the ground.

Several hotel managers appointed environmental stewards to continue these efforts.

Jablonski also worked with businesses, government and civil society to raise awareness and put forward solutions.

“Our oceans and resources are under tremendous pressure from a variety of threats, including marine pollution,” said outgoing US ambassador to Thailand Glyn Davies.

“By 2050, scientists assess there could be more plastic than fish [by weight] in the ocean if we don’t act. We are proud to bring an expert to engage in this unique public-private partnership with the association to help find practical solutions.”

President of Phuket Hotels Association Anthony Lark said the oceans are choking on plastic and it is our duty to tackle this problem.

“We are thrilled to announce that this project empowered our member hotels to eliminate all plastic water bottles in rooms next year. This represents literally millions of single-use plastic water bottles that will be eliminated from Phuket’s waste stream,” Lark said.

Jablonski will speak on September 24 at the Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism Forum, a new regional sustainability forum for the hospitality sector.

A clearer picture of the financial cost of the earthquake is also emerging. Damage to roads, agricultural facilities and other infrastructure in the town of Atsuma, where the earthquake triggered huge landslides, has risen to about ¥15.7 billion ($140 million).

Distribution networks and other services are steadily resuming, but the severity of the damage caused by the earthquake, which registered the highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7, is becoming apparent.

According to the Japan Ryokan and Hotel Association’s Hokkaido branch, the cancellation of accommodation for 500,000 people will have an economic impact of ¥10 billion. This figure is expected to increase as the branch collects more data from accommodation facilities. A flurry of events in Hokkaido have been canceled or shortened, which will sting Hokkaido’s economy during the autumn tourism season.

The Jozankei Tourist Association in Minami Ward, Sapporo, said hotels and other accommodation facilities in the hot spring district of Jozankei were hardly damaged by the earthquake, but at least 30,000 people had canceled stays there, mainly ones scheduled for this month.

According to the Hakodate Hotel Inn Cooperative, cancellations at facilities in Hakodate will have an impact of more than ¥2 billion.

The association’s Hokkaido branch is calling on relevant organizations to carry out campaigns targeting overseas visitors to dispel harmful misconceptions about the earthquake and its aftermath.

According to calculations by the Atsuma municipal government, damage to the town’s roads, rivers, agricultural facilities and other infrastructure had climbed to about ¥15.7 billion as of Thursday. As this was an interim tally, the town expects the figure to rise.

The Sapporo city government estimated damage to its public facilities, mainly roads, would top ¥10 billion.

Liquefaction reportedly destroyed at least 10 houses in Kiyota Ward, Sapporo. Damage from liquefaction also has been confirmed in the city’s Higashi Ward and the cities of Ebetsu, Kitahiroshima and Tomakomai.

Hokkaido’s rail and distribution networks are steadily being restored. According to Hokkaido Railway Co., limited express trains linking Sapporo with Obihiro and Kushiro resumed Friday. All limited express trains on lines in Hokkaido are now operating.

With the restoration of operations of railway tracks on local lines, Japan Freight Railway Co. is expected to resume freight train operations on all sections as soon as Sept. 22.

Marine transport also is getting back on its feet. Tomakomai Port, which is one of the nation’s ports with the largest volume of freight handled, briefly was unable to load and unload freight because power cuts rendered its large cranes unusable. Loading operations at the port had been almost fully restored by Thursday.

Hokkaido Electric Power Co. announced that the No. 1 unit at its Kyogoku pumped hydroelectric power plant in the town of Kyogoku was restarted on Thursday evening. The unit, which has an output of 200,000 kilowatts, had been shut down due to an equipment malfunction. The No. 2 unit, which also has an output of 200,000 kilowatts, was expected to come online on Friday.

Almost the whole of Hokkaido was hit by blackouts after the earthquake, leaving about 2.95 million households without electricity. As of 8 p.m. Thursday, just 144 households were still without power.