Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong has vowed to tighten security in the country’s popular tourist zones following a shocking assault on two Malaysian visitors in Bangkok. Expressing deep regret over the incident, Sorawong said he had ordered the Tourist Police and other relevant agencies to provide urgent aid and close protection for the…
WASHINGTON – In a move that could reshape international travel to the United States, the U.S. government is set to launch a pilot program requiring certain visa applicants to post bonds of up to USD15,000, in a bid to curb visa overstays. Effective August 20, the program gives American consular officers the discretion to impose…
TOKYO: Japan welcomed a record 21.5 million visitors in the first half of the year, up 21 per cent from the first half of last year, despite a sharp drop in tourists from Hong Kong due to prevailing speculations of a strong earthquake. According to figures released by the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) on…
Bali, Indonesia – May 3, 2025 — A massive power outage plunged the entire island of Bali into darkness at approximately 4:00 PM local time on Friday, severely disrupting daily life and tourism operations. The blackout, attributed to a suspected fault in the undersea Java-Bali transmission cable, caused major disruptions as traffic lights failed and…
PETALING JAYA – Malaysia’s extension of visa-free stay for Chinese tourists for five years is expected to be a major economic booster, with tourism operators and business communities forecasting knock-on effects across various sectors. Tourism industry stakeholders say the long-term visa exemption brings stability, enabling better planning and development of Chinese-focused tourism products. They anticipate…
KUNMING (Xinhua): International train service on a segment of the China-Laos Railway has been further extended by including additional train stations, thereby providing more travelling solutions to foreign passengers, reported China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd. on Sunday. Apart from the train service linking the terminal stations of Kunming, the capital of southwest China’s Yunnan…
HANOI: Vietnam expanded its visa waiver policy to cover citizens of 15 countries to make the country more appealing as a destination for tourism and foreign investment. According to Resolution No. 44/NQ-CP on March 7, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland, the Czech Republic, and…
Da Nang, Vietnam – April 10, 2025 – In a move to promote greater regional tourism collaboration, the Malaysia Tourism Agency Association (MATA) and Da Nang Tourism Association (DATA) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today at the ASEAN Connect Conference in Da Nang. The agreement, witnessed by ASEAN member states’ officials and tourism…
Thailand’s tourism sector, already dealing with China’s dwindling visitor arrivals and increasing regional safety worries, now has to contend with a new challenge after a strong 7.7-magnitude earthquake in neighboring Myanmar caused a jolt of fear among overseas travelers to popular Thai tourist spots. The earthquake, which led to evacuations and light damage to structures…
HONG KONG: Hong Kong welcomed its iconic Rugby Sevens tournament and the international art fair Art Basel as a deliberate attempt to get tourism going again in the densely populated Asian finance hub. After three years of stringent COVID-19 restrictions that severely impacted tourist arrivals and led to an expatriate exodus, Hong Kong has witnessed…
