Singaporean Expert Says Vietnam Tourism Needs Better Destination Management: Report

BY  Abdul Aziz Nov 24, 2023

The Department of Tourism in the North launched its second travel expo on Saturday in a bid to ensure a spur in the tourism industry in the northern provinces. Cordillera Administrative Region and the DOT Regional Offices I, II, and III kickstarted the 2nd North Luzon Travel Expo (NLTE) at the Grand Sierra Pines Hotel, North Outlook Drive in Bagiuo City. It is scheduled to be held from the NOV 25 to 27, 2023. The first of the NLT fairs was launched at SMX Convention Center Clark, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga. The DOT-CAR is lining up the activities with the Tourism and Travel Fair being the main feature. This event will take place at the CAP Convention Center at Camp John Hay, Baguio City. The other activities include a music show featuring local artists of the four regions. The art in the park at Reflection Pool of Wright Park, Baguio City, Business to business networking activity at La Fayette Hotel, Baguio City. There will be product presentations at the CAP Convention Center as well as a familiarization tour or the North Luzon Inter-regional Circuit which will be a post-tour. The key destinations in Baguio City and Benguet in the Cordillera and Naguillan, San Fernando City, Bauang, San Juan and Luna in La Union in Region 1 will be visited. On November 26, a "Hibla ng Lahing Pilipino Fashion Parade will be staged at the Manor Garden, Camp John Hay. This will showcase regal fabrics from North Luzon to recognize the weavers of indigenous Filipino textiles." The DOT Cordillera chief Jovy Ganongan says the activities are aimed "to create a synergy to develop a robust tourism value chain by converging existing and new domestic tourism products, destinations, and services of the North Luzon regions to the local and international markets. She also said this is also to further strengthen the relationship of the North Luzon regions with their tourism stakeholders." Read Also: The Italian Train Group FS Will Launch A New “Night Train Like Hotel”: Rome To Dolomites Traveling Christmas Tree For The Western Lawn Of U.S. Capitol Venice Reveals 2024 Dates For Tourist Entry Fees: Report

BY  Abdul Aziz Dec 6, 2023

According to one crime control policy expert, California's spiking violent-crime rate can be due to the liberal district attorneys in the big cities who are promoting a "culture of lawlessness." Florida on the other hand has "law and order" policies that yield lower crime. Heritage Senior Legal Fellow Cully Stimson told Fox News Digital over a phone interview this week, that, "If [California] had law and order DAs, if you had a governor of California - like previous governors, including Reagan - who were pro-law enforcement, pro-law and order, and were hammering [DAs] George Gascon and Chesa Boudin and Pamela Price campaigning for law and order DA candidates, you wouldn't have the disparity between Florida and California in terms of crime rates." This month the FBI released its annual national crime data that analyzed 2022's crime trends and found that violent incidents decreased by 1.7% since last year, in comparison to 2021. Violent crimes are defined as cases like robberies, rape, armed assault, and homicide. Murders and non-negligent manslaughter have also dropped to 6.1% while rape cases decreased by 5.4%. The national violent crime numbers for 2022 are just a fraction higher than the data of 2019 which depicts a return to the pre-pandemic numbers. New Report Shows New Numbers Stimson is one of the authors behind the Heritage Foundation's report named, "The Blue City Murder Problem," which retorted to the Democratic narrative that America has a "red state murder problem." He says, "Crime, especially violent crime, is demographically and geographically concentrated in the inner cities. That's just a fact… But to get a real sense of what's happening in a state, you have to look what's happening in your big cities in those states." The report found that "There were 2,554 homicides in those 30 cities through June 2022. In the 14 cities with Soros-backed rogue prosecutors, there were 1,752 homicides, representing 68 percent of homicides in the 30 top homicide cities in the United States." Florida on the other hand, according to Stimson, has promoted law and order policies through Gov. Ron DeSantis and prosecutors. He said, "When you look at the crime rates in big cities in Florida and you see that unlike California, the Florida constitution empowers the governor to remove elected officials who are not fulfilling their fiduciary duties. DeSantis [got] rid of Andrew Warren and Monique Worrell, two DAs in two separate counties because they're not doing their job." Read Also: Earthquake Of 6.9 Magnitude Leaves Philippines Jolted- 3rd Jolt In 2 Days World’s Most Famous Christmas Tree Has Reached Trafalgar Square Zanzibar Is Luring Tourists With A 30Kg Christmas Cake

BY  Abdul Aziz Dec 8, 2023

The most preferred destinations for tourists traveling within their country as well as abroad remain a matter of trend and fluctuations. But one country that has seen a huge surge in inbound tourists is Thailand. Especially Indians who want a small break. This growth comes from Thailand's latest visa policy that allows visa-free entry to its visitors, one of the nationals being Indians. Thailand's Bangkok has stolen this coveted spot from Dubai, according to Agoda, an online travel platform. They analyzed the trends based on hotel bookings on their application. Ever since the government of Thailand has permitted visa-free entry for many countries including India, the country has seen a 26% increase in searches on Agoda and Indian tourists have found their favorite escape. Other countries that have recently waived the visa requirements for tourists of various nationals include Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Both of these countries are seeing renewed interest from tourists. The report says, “When it comes to international travel choices, Indians consistently favour short haul destinations across the region. Chart topper Bangkok and fifth most popular destination Pattaya are poised to further strengthen their appeal, with the recent announcement of visa-free travel for Indians to Thailand.” The report also said that, “The rankings with the most booked destinations on Agoda underscore a distinct inclination among Indians for tried-and-tested destinations, showcasing a preference for all-time favourites that have lots to offer to any type of traveller and no matter how frequently they are visited." Krishna Rathi, Agoda's country director for India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka says, "2023 has been an incredible year for travel in India. Agoda search numbers reveal growth on all levels: domestic, inbound, and outbound. I am excited to see how this trend will shape the travel industry in 2024. "Bangkok has been followed by Dubai, then Bali in the third and Singapore in the fourth place. Read Also: Crime Rate In Florida Trending Down While California Skyrockets: Report World’s Most Famous Christmas Tree Has Reached Trafalgar Square