by Reinhard Hohler, Chiang Mai

According to Vietnamese media sources, Viet Nam, Viet Nam and Cambodia yesterday opened another pair of border posts, Hoa Lu in Viet Nam’s Binh Phuoc Province and Trapeang Sre in Cambodia’s Kratie Province. This is the fifth of seven pairs of border posts the two countries agreed to open under a road transport agreement signed in 1998 and a protocol signed in 2005. Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong said the gates would not only facilitate trade and economic development between the two border provinces, but also improve co-operation between the two countries.

Sumatra’s Bandar Lampung will host this year’s Indonesia’s annual travel mart Tourism Indonesia Mart & Expo (TIME) or Pasar Wisata Indonesia, from October 12 to 14, to promote Indonesian tourism and its world class destinations. This Indonesian premier tourism event will be held at Novotel Lampung and will present all new tourism products, including hotels, resorts, travel spot, theme parks, as well as new tourism developments.

Following the success of the inaugural City Fair, ETOA and ECM are pleased to announce that it will soon be possible to register for City Fair 2012, also to be held in London.

This year’s full-day workshop saw over 80 city tourist boards from 23 European countries, along with their partners, meeting with operators following ETOA’s long-established system of pre-arranged appointments. A broad mix of destinations attended and the event offered a unique opportunity for buyers to source product and also gain new ideas.

Click on the video to see what City Fair 2011 delegates had to say:

RevPAR, the revenue per available room, increased by more than 9% and maintained the positive trend in estimates for the summer season . Operating Profit (EBIT) increases by more than 20%, while Net Profit (8 million euros) performance is negatively impacted by exchange rate differences and capital gains- The company, which renewed its corporate brand in June, remains committed to a strong international presence and has added 11 hotels to date (1 every 3 weeks)

Seoul showcases its many attractions as a business and entertainment capital starting next week with the ‘Seoul Sizzling Sweepstakes’, a special promotion designed to give international visitors a taste of what makes the Korean capital a great city for both business and fun. Throughout August, the Seoul Convention Bureau’s official website, www.miceseoul.com, will display a special feature on a different tourist attraction each day and run special giveaways relating to that attraction to increase awareness and interest.

With over 300 exhibitors, a 21% growth in event space over 2010, some 300 Hosted Buyers (25% increase over last year), plus more than 5500 Pre-Scheduled Appointments, and an increase in the number of Professional Education Seminars, CIBTM 2011 is following the trend of growth for the MICE sector in the region and will be the largest event of its kind since the launch in 2005. Highlights from this year’s event, which takes place from 30th August – 1st September, include 14 domestic tourism boards who will participate as exhibitors this year, as the sector recognises the economic impact of the MICE industry.