China: ban on fake historic tourism

The Chinese government has banned the use of "negative historical figures or literary works" to boost tourism, a new decree says.

The Ministry of Culture and the state Administration of Cultural Heritage also said places cannot claim to be the birthplaces or hometowns of characters from fiction or legend, Xinhua, the official government news agency, said. The decree also bans the construction of fake historic buildings.

Source: upi.com; find full article here>>.

China lifts ban on tourists with STD, HIV and leprosy

As Shanghai prepares to host the world exposition, China has lifted a two-decade ban on travel to the country by people who carry the virus that causes AIDS or who have other sexually transmitted diseases or leprosy. The ban on travel is now officially limited only to people with infectious tuberculosis, serious mental disorders and “infectious diseases which could possibly greatly harm the public health.”

Source: The New York Times; find article here>>.

UNWTO: China may become top tourist destination by 2015

China, the world's fourth-most popular tourist destination at present, will surpass France as the largest tourist destination by 2015, according to Taleb Rifai, secretary general of the UNWTO. In the last ten years, the number of foreign tourists to China has increased from 8 to 48 million.

Source: eTurboNews; find article here>>.

Taiwan: Travel restrictions on Chinese tourists to be eased

Travel agents on Taiwan's outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu will be allowed from May to apply online for travel permits on behalf of Chinese tour groups who want to visit the two islands via direct ferry services across the Taiwan Strait, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday.

Chinese tourists who have already visited Taiwan over the past five years and who want to visit Kinmen and Matsu as part of a tour group of between five and 40 members can apply online for travel permits through Tourism Bureau-sanctioned travel agencies on the two islands.

Source: Taiwan News; find article here>>.

China Says It Has World's Fastest Train

China has unveiled what it says is the world's fastest rail link in the world, a train connecting the cities of Guangzhou and Wuhan, with an average speed of 217 miles per hour. The super-high-speed train reduces the 1,069 km journey to a three hour ride and cuts the previous journey time by more than seven and a half hours. Work on the project began in 2005 as part of plans to expand a high-speed network aimed at eventually linking the business hub of Guangzhou with Beijing. Test runs for the service began earlier in December and the link officially went into service last Saturday. Beijing has an ambitious rail development program aimed at increasing the national network from the current 86,000 km to 120,000km, making it the most extensive rail system outside the US.
ARTA E-NEWS FOR December 29, 2009 www.artaonline.com

China: Tibet to be reopened to foreign tourists

China says it will reopen Tibet to foreign tourists in early April. The region has recently been closed to travellers because of security fears in regard to a number of sensitive anniversaries. The Chinese news agency Xinhua quoted Tibet's head of tourism as saying the region was now "harmonious and safe".

However, there is still a heavy Chinese military presence in the area, and foreign journalists and human rights groups cannot operate freely.

Source: BBC News; find article here>>.

China: restrictions for business travelers

Government officials confirmed Thursday that visas for business people will be tougher to get during the Olympic period. Authorities have repeatedly said the security measures are needed because the games are a target for terrorism.

Now, Beijing and other Olympic cities such as Shanghai have stopped issuing official invitation letters, known as notification letters, needed for business visas until late September, unless it involves employment or executing business contracts, an official with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce said.

"We don't take in applications related to any other general business matters, such as attending conferences, visiting factories and business negotiations. Such applications will not be handled until after Sept. 20," Chen Yu said.

Source: International Herald Tribune; full article here>>.

New Rules For Data On International Passengers Flying to Beijing

BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) - Entry and exit inspection authorities here said that a new regulation, whereby international airlines must provide them with Advance Passenger Information (API) before arrival, took effect on Tuesday.
The move would greatly accelerate the inspection process as it would allow the authorities to screen passengers before they land, said an official with the local border management agency.
He said the required information included the passenger's full name, nationality, gender, date of birth, passport validity and expiry date. Once the flight took off for Beijing, the information would be transmitted to Chinese border management agencies through a special network.
Agencies would receive and begin processing the information two hours before the flight landed at Beijing Capital International Airport. Carriers that failed to provide accurate and timely API would be fined up to 30,000 yuan (4,286 U.S. dollars) per case.

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"China Lists Dos and Don’ts for Olympics-Bound Foreigners"

As reported by Keith Bradsher, at The New York Times, "Do not bring any printed materials critical of China. Do not plan on holding any rallies or demonstrations in China. Do not think that you are guaranteed an entry visa because you hold tickets to an Olympic event. And do not even think about smuggling opium into China.
That is some of the eclectic advice issued by the Beijing Organizing Committee on Monday, in a document listing 57 questions that foreign visitors to the Olympic Games in August may have: 'Does China have any regulation against insults to the flag or national emblems?' 'After eating or drinking at restaurants or hotels, if you have diarrhea or vomiting symptoms, how do you lodge a complaint?'
The advisory to foreigners, posted on the committee’s Web site, but only in Chinese, provides answers for each question in a deadpan style. (Burning or soiling the Chinese flag or emblems is a criminal offense; food poisoning symptoms are to be reported to the local health department.) Some of the rules, like a ban on religious or political banners or slogans at Olympic sites, appear aimed at preventing protests of China’s crackdown in Tibet this year and other Chinese policies." Read more>>

China: Passenger train collision kills 70

A high-speed passenger train jumped its tracks and slammed into another train in eastern China on Monday, killing at least 70 people and injuring more than 400 in China's worst train accident in a decade. Authorities were quoted as saying that human error was to blame.

The death toll could rise, with 70 people hospitalized in critical condition after the pre-dawn crash in a rural part of Shandong province, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
It said a total of 420 people had been hurt. No foreigners were among the dead. Injured survivors included four French nationals, a Chinese national sailing coach and a 3-year-old boy.

Source: Yahoo News. Full article here>>.

China: Turnabout pilots lead to big fine

A Chinese airline has been stripped of routes and given a large fine after some of its pilots turned back flights amid suspected industrial unrest. China Eastern Airlines was punished by the country's civil aviation authority after the incidents earlier this month.
The carrier had claimed that the flights had returned to Kunming airport after take-off due to bad weather but later admitted a "human element". Pilots had been demanding better pay, hours and working conditions.
Fining China Eastern 1.5 million yuan ($215,000; £108,000) and giving some of its routes within Yunnan province to rival airlines, the carrier was told to punish those responsible and uphold safety.

Source: BBC; Fina full article here>>.

"Beware of travel agents"

As reported by Kang Bing, at the China Daily, "Want to go on a trip? The most convenient way seems to be joining a packaged tour. You scan the advertisements, find a good bargain, sign a contract with a travel agent, and all the while not knowing you might be falling into a trap.
Better living standards have led to a prosperous travel market in this country. So attractive is the industry that travel agencies have sprung up like mushrooms. The latest statistics are not yet available, but the 2004 figure showed there were 13,467 travel agencies in China, double the figure at the turn of the century.
When you have to choose someone you can trust from such a sea of travel agents, you can bet you are stepping into a risky business." Read more>>

UK: Britain cuts visa price for Chinese tourists

Britain will cut the price of its group tourist visas for Chinese travelers by almost a third for three months from March 3, said the British Ambassador to China Sir William Ehrman on Wednesday.
The price would fall from 63 pounds (980 yuan) to 44 pounds (660 yuan) and a final decision on whether the reduction should be permanent would be made at the end of the trial period, said Ehrman.
China was the first country to carry out the trial reduction, said Ehrman, adding it was aimed at promoting tourism.

Source: eTurboNews; read full article here.

"Medical tourism needs a thorough checkup, critics say"

As reported by Christopher Bodeen and Alan Scher Zagier at The Wenatchee World Online, "BEIJING — They're paralyzed from diving accidents and car crashes, disabled by Parkinson's, or blind. With few options available at home in America, they search the Internet for experimental treatments — and often land on Web sites promoting stem cell treatments in China.
They mortgage their houses and their hometowns hold fundraisers as they scrape together the tens of thousands of dollars needed for travel and the hope for a miracle cure.
Some of these medical tourists claim some success when they return home: Jim Savage, a Houston man with paralysis from a spinal-cord injury, says he can move his right arm. Penny Thomas of Hawaii says her Parkinson's tremors are mostly gone. The parents of 6-year-old Rylea Barlett of Missouri, born with an optical defect, say she can see.
But documentation is mostly lacking, and Western doctors warn that patients are serving as guinea pigs in countries that aren't doing the rigorous lab and human tests that are needed to prove a treatment is safe and effective" Read more>>

Managing China's Inbound Growth

PATA Chairman Mr Brian Deeson (right) joined VIPs in opening the Tourism Future & Development - China Forum 2007 in Kunming, China (PRC) today.
Managing China's Inbound Growth Stimulating inbound tourism growth is not at issue for China (PRC), rather it is the need to manage and harness the growth, PATA Chairman Mr Brian Deeson told an industry forum in Kunming today. Speaking at the Tourism Future & Development - China Forum 2007, Mr Deeson said China had already become the world's fourth most popular destination and could become the number one destination within 10 years.
"However, we know that growth can be a double-edged sword, particularly when it comes to sustainability," he said. "And one of the biggest challenges facing China, and our industry as a whole, is climate change." Mr Deeson said PATA was calling on leaders of travel and tourism across Asia Pacific to join forces at the PATA CEO Challenge: Confronting Climate Change, to take place in Bangkok, April 29-30 next year.
PATA Vice President-Operations Mr Michael Yates spoke about a new report the Association is developing with the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) to identify ways China can maximise the economic, cultural and environmental benefits of inbound tourism.
Mr Deeson and Mr Yates joined CNTA Vice Chairman Mr Du Jiang and AC Nielsen senior manager Dr Grace Pan for a panel discussion moderated by noted CNN travel presenter Mr Richard Quest. www.PATA.org/ceochallenge

"Two SARs plan closer cooperation on tourism"

From Macau, Nickkita Lau reports, at The Standard, that "Hong Kong and Macau have agreed to negotiate with the mainland government on combining into one the current separate visas for mainland tourists visiting the two cities.
The aim is for mainland tourists, under the Individual Visit Scheme, to travel to both places in one trip, according to Hong Kong Tourism Board chairman James Tien Pei-chun who revealed the plan yesterday.
Hong Kong and Macau are not competitors but partners in tourism promotion, Tien said after meeting with Macau Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah and Macau tourism officials in the neighboring SAR. He said increasingly severe international competition has driven them to embrace their partnership.
The two cities are only separated by water, Tien said.
Hong Kong, he said, should position itself as a sight-seeing, shopping and dining capital while Macau will continue to attract tourists with its World Heritage, gaming and entertainment facilities." Read more>>

"China Tells Its Tourists No Shouting"

"China's advice to its citizens who travel abroad: No fighting, no shouting and, please, no extortion.
The new guidelines for Chinese tourists, posted on the Foreign Ministry's Web site Tuesday, cover a wide range of dangerous or problem behavior to help head off trouble. Travelers are told to avoid drawing attention to themselves, respect local customs, and keep a wary eye on strangers.
'Keep peaceful in public places, don't talk loud and avoid sticking out,' the guidelines said. 'Don't get involved in other people's quarrels in public places,' it added, a nod to the Chinese habit of gathering in large crowds to observe or even take part in others' arguments and fights.
The suggestions also urged Chinese to respect local laws and not to try to cut corners or make threats. 'When your legal rights are violated, avoid making things worse and resolve the problem through upright channels, not through extortion or other illegal methods,' the guidelines said.
Along with the booming economy, Chinese have become a major presence in international tourism in recent years. While most are welcomed for the cash they spend, there have been incidents of Chinese abroad causing both offense through obnoxious behavior and being preyed on by criminals or cheats.
The number of Chinese who travel outside their homeland each year is expected to nearly triple to 100 million people by 2020."

Source: The Associated Press.

"Taipei PR officer in Beijing to promote tourism"

As reported by the China Post, "Taipei city government's top publicity official, Yang Hsiao-tung, left for Beijing yesterday mainly to promote Taiwan tourism at the 2007 Beijing International Tourism Expo slated for June 21-23.
Yang is expected to officiate at the opening of the Taiwan Pavilion at the expo, which will be showcasing tourism attractions in Taiwan.
Yang is the first Taipei city official to visit Beijing since Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin assumed office early this year.
In a brief interview with CNA at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport before his departure, Yang said he will join other private operators to promote Taiwan's tourism attractions, including travel to hotspring resorts, at the expo and will promote 'city exchanges' between Taipei and Beijing, and other Chinese cities and countries from around the world.
Yang, who also serves as a spokesman for Taipei City Hall, said the Taiwan Pavilion will be positioned independently at the expo -- not in the domestic area nor in the international area -- to avoid Taiwan from being 'dwarfed.'." Read more...

China to protect its cultural and natural heritage

The drive to protect its famous monuments and nature reserves continues to get stronger and stronger in China. Following a recent decision to pass its first set of laws against vandalizing the country s legendary Great Wall, China has now stepped up protection of its state-level nature reserves to crack down on activities such as film shooting and unauthorized tourism, according to a new regulation.
Source: eTurboNews.

China and Cambodia

The Chinese and Cambodian Governments have signed two accords, one on economic co-operation, the other on tourism. This followed the visit of Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen, to Beijing in March.

(Originally posted by John Downes)