Malaysia Day

New Delhi: Women’s workforce participation in Indian firms may not have reached a sizable proportion just yet, but the gender equation is evolving rapidly in the Indian travel context, with women accounting for over 40% of the leisure customer base of some companies. Travel companies and hotel chains including Thomas Cook, SOTC and Leisure Hotels Group are increasing focus on women travellers amid a surge in demand for trips abroad as well as within the country. Planet Hollywood Goa, a beach resort in South Goa, for example, plans to host a first-of-its-kind Women Fun Fest with a sundowner electric beach bash and pool parties next month for women to “reclaim their weekends” and craft “unforgettable memories” with their tribe. The…

Pune: IT professional Arvind Pranjal, who currently lives in Vimannagar, turned his two-day Holi holidays into a nine-day prolonged weekend. He has now decided to spend his holidays in Goa. “Following the upcoming weekend, I have a holiday for Holi on March 25. Thus, I applied for leaves from March 26 to March 28 (Tuesday to Thursday) considering that I will have a holiday for Good Friday followed by the weekend.With so many leaves in hand, instead of going back home to Delhi, I will be spending a quiet Holi in Goa visiting all the beaches,” Pranjal told TOI. Pranjal isn’t the only one and many holiday seekers are turning their Holi holiday to a long getaway. According to travel…

CANBERRA, Australia – It’s easy to find a Southeast Asian connection through key members of Australia’s Cabinet. Penny Wong, Foreign Minister and leader of the government in the Senate, was born in Sabah, Malaysia and speaks the language. Don Farrell, Minister for Trade and Tourism, lights up as he talks about marrying his Bicolana wife in Pasig City some four decades ago. Chris Bowen, Climate Change and Energy Minister, is fresh off a holiday in Malaysia. It’s the beginning of February 2024 and preparations were well underway in Canberra and in Melbourne for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Australia Special Summit, a celebration of 50 years since Australia signed up to be the bloc’s first dialogue partner in 1974.…

SYDNEY, Feb 21 (Reuters) – As Chinese tourism booms to visa-free countries in Southeast Asia, Australia is losing out, with more cost-conscious mainland travellers also choosing cheaper destinations closer to home, according to tour operators and industry data. Once a magnet for Chinese holiday-makers, Australia’s tourism industry is getting squeezed by visa demands at a time when Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia have waived such requirements and as mainland consumers tighten their belts. Johnny Nee, Director at Easy Going Travel Services Pty Ltd in Perth, Western Australia, said his business only recovered to 40% of pre-COVID levels over Lunar New Year earlier this month even as Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia saw visitor numbers and spending exceed pre-COVID levels. “Given China’s economic…

SYDNEY, Feb 21 (Reuters) – As Chinese tourism booms to visa-free countries in Southeast Asia, Australia is losing out, with more cost-conscious mainland travellers also choosing cheaper destinations closer to home, according to tour operators and industry data. Once a magnet for Chinese holiday-makers, Australia’s tourism industry is getting squeezed by visa demands at a time when Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia have waived such requirements and as mainland consumers tighten their belts. Johnny Nee, Director at Easy Going Travel Services Pty Ltd in Perth, Western Australia, said his business only recovered to 40% of pre-COVID levels over Lunar New Year earlier this month even as Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia saw visitor numbers and spending exceed pre-COVID levels. “Given China’s economic…

BEIJING – When marketing planner Johnnie Zhu, 28, visited Singapore for a day over the New Year weekend, he blew his budget by 30 per cent on the back of higher-than-expected food and transport costs. Mr Zhu, who was in transit on his way to Mount Bromo in Indonesia’s East Java, spent about 1,500 yuan (S$280) in that one day in Singapore. In Indonesia, he spent 500 to 600 yuan a day. “I found the souvenirs at the airport particularly expensive,” he told The Straits Times. Mr Zhu bought three small Merlion soft toys – each the size of about half a palm – for around 100 yuan and a keychain for 50 yuan for family and friends back home.…

BEIJING: When marketing planner Johnnie Zhu, 28, visited Singapore for a day over the New Year weekend, he blew his budget by 30 per cent on the back of higher-than-expected food and transport costs. Zhu, who was in transit on his way to Mount Bromo in Indonesia’s East Java, spent about 1,500 yuan (S$280) in that one day in Singapore. In Indonesia, he spent 500 to 600 yuan a day. “I found the souvenirs at the airport particularly expensive,” he told The Straits Times. Zhu bought three small Merlion soft toys – each the size of about half a palm – for around 100 yuan and a keychain for 50 yuan for family and friends back home. He lowered his…

BEIJING – In a bid to bolster tourism, China has announced a significant expansion of its visa-free entry program, extending the privilege to citizens of six additional European countries. As part of the announcement made on Thursday, effective from March 14 to November 30, 2024, citizens from Ireland, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg will be able to enter China for a period of up to 15 days without the need for a visa. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced during a press conference and this move builds upon previous efforts to enhance international travel facilitation, with China having already granted visa-free entry to citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei in recent times. Wang…

SYDNEY: As Chinese tourism booms to visa-free countries in Southeast Asia, Australia is losing out, with more cost-conscious mainland travellers also choosing cheaper destinations closer to home, according to tour operators and industry data. Once a magnet for Chinese holiday-makers, Australia’s tourism industry is getting squeezed by visa demands at a time when Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia have waived such requirements and as mainland consumers tighten their belts. Johnny Nee, director at Easy Going Travel Services Pty Ltd in Perth, Western Australia, said his business only recovered to 40% of pre-Covid levels over Lunar New Year earlier this month even as Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia saw visitor numbers and spending exceed pre-Covid levels. “Given China’s economic outlook is not so…

BEIJING – Chinese travellers flocked to tourist hot-spots across Asia over the Chinese New Year break, with visitor numbers and spending in destinations including Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia exceeding pre-Covid levels. Visa-free access for Chinese tourists to the South-east Asia countries boosted traffic and signalled a robust revival in travel since Beijing lifted strict Covid-19 restrictions in early 2023 that had all but shut China’s borders for three years. The increase also provides a welcome relief to countries whose tourism industries rely on the Chinese and their spending for growth, although the outlook for a sustained recovery in overseas travel is overshadowed by a sluggish mainland economy and volatile financial markets that have seen consumers tighten their belts at home.…

BEIJING – Chinese travellers flocked to tourist hot-spots across Asia over the Lunar New Year break, with visitor numbers and spending in destinations including Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia exceeding pre-Covid levels, Chinese travel operators say. Visa-free access for Chinese tourists to the Southeast Asian countries boosted traffic and signalled a robust revival in travel since Beijing lifted strict Covid restrictions in early 2023 that had all but shut China’s borders for three years. The increase also provides a welcome relief to countries whose tourism industries rely on the Chinese and their spending for growth, although the outlook for a sustained recovery in overseas travel is overshadowed by a sluggish mainland economy and volatile financial markets that have seen consumers tighten…

SEOUL — Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, fresh off an acquittal in a high-profile corporate malfeasance trial, wasted no time last week in displaying hands on management, foregoing a traditional South Korean holiday to inspect the company’s operations in Malaysia. But hanging over Lee’s visit to the Southeast Asian country — a key battery manufacturing hub for Samsung SDI, a Samsung Electronics affiliate — was a decision by prosecutors on Thursday to appeal the Seoul Central District Court’s Monday ruling that found Lee innocent of stock price manipulation and accounting fraud charges.

Vietnam confident of malaria elimination by 2030: Deputy Health Minister Vietnam is confident in realising the goal of eliminating malaria by 2030, said Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong. Addressing a ceremony marking Vietnamese Doctors’ Day (February 27) and presenting awards of a competition on the life and scientific career of the late Prof. Dang Van Ngu, held by the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (NIMPE) in Hanoi on February 22, Huong said Vietnam has emerged as a beacon in the regional and global fight against malaria. She commended NIMPE for its pivotal role in reducing malaria cases, deaths and outbreaks. As of the end of 2023, 46 provinces had achieved malaria-free status, a dramatic turnaround…

Kolkata: Holiday bookings at hotels and resorts — majority of them for impromptu vacations from city tourists — have increased manifold in the last two months since the Malaysian government introduced Visa-free entry to the archipelago from Dec 1, tourism officials from Malaysia visiting Kolkata said on Friday. As per data, 5.9 lakh tourists had visited Malaysia between Jan and Nov last year and more than 10% of them were from Bengal. “We don’t have the complete data since Dec but as per hotel and resort associations in Malaysia, there has been a sharp jump in the number of tourists in last two months. What is more exciting is tourists from Kolkata and other cities are booking hotels barely three…

PNN New Delhi [India], February 1: In a remarkable display of innovation and resilience, India’s corporate industry is witnessing a transformative shift led by visionary enterprises. “Shaping Tomorrow: Top 10 Indian Businesses Making a Change” explores these industry leaders’ dynamic initiatives and impactful contributions. Delves into the strategies and commitments driving positive change, showcasing the indomitable spirit of Indian businesses shaping a brighter future. 1. Moksha Media Group Founded in 2012, Moksha Media Group emerged as a burgeoning force with its transformative creative brilliance. The innovative brand houses over 200 dynamic talents working across a sprawling 40000 sq ft studio space, producing an annual output exceeding 2 million photos and videos. Moksha operates across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, New York, and…

Ahmedabad: Plan to travel abroad this summer vacation? Prepare to shell out between 20% and 70% extra. Driven by higher airfares and hotel tariffs, holiday packages for this summer are costing significantly more. While that dream European holiday has become about 20% costlier from Rs 2.5 lakh per person for a six-country package last year to Rs 3 lakh.If you think Vietnam will be an economical affair, think again. Costs there have also soared by 70%. While booking inquiries pour in, conversions into actual holiday packages are not as high this season. “Inquiries for the summer holiday season have begun to come in. But conversions are few thus far, given the spike in airfares. We have two big groups who…

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The ICE Futures canola market maintained its strength coming out of the long weekend, supported by vegetable oils and a slightly weaker Canadian dollar. There was no trading on Monday due to Louis Riel Day in Manitoba. Chicago soyoil and Malaysian palm oil were up while European rapeseed was mostly higher. However, crude oil was down, which tempered canola’s gains. There was no trading in the United States on Monday due to the Presidents Day holiday. The Canadian dollar was one-tenth of a United States cent lower compared to Friday’s close. Nearly 22,500 contracts were traded. Prices in Canadian dollars per metric ton as of 8:39 CST: Source: Commodity News Service Canada, [email protected]

Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – The domestic cement industry expects to bounce back in 2024 thanks to the Government’s tireless efforts to speed up public investment and implementation of key transport infrastructure projects, along with approving many industrial and urban infrastructure ones. At the same time, cement producers are also trying to expand their markets, shifting to several outlets such as the US, Australia, North America, South America and Africa, to reduce dependence on China and take full advantage of the industry which can provide up to 120 million tonnes of products per year. However, the Vietnam Cement Association said some importers of Vietnamese cement and clinker continue to implement policies and technical trade barriers to protect their local cement sectors. In…

LONDON (Reuters) – European stocks opened higher on Monday and world stocks were steady at their highest in more than two years, as investors waited for U.S. inflation data due this week to give clues about when the U.S. Federal Reserve might cut rates. The S&P 500 rose above 5,000 points for the first time ever last week, boosted by tech stocks, and world equities have risen for three weeks straight, even though U.S. Treasury yields have edged higher recently as investors lower their expectations for how soon the Fed could cut rates. With most major Asian markets closed for holidays, analysts said they expected a quiet day in markets as traders wait for U.S. inflation data on Tuesday, as…

LONDON — European stocks opened higher on Monday and world stocks were steady at their highest in more than two years, as investors waited for U.S. inflation data due this week to give clues about when the U.S. Federal Reserve might cut rates. The S&P 500 rose above 5,000 points for the first time ever last week, boosted by tech stocks, and world equities have risen for three weeks straight, even though U.S. Treasury yields have edged higher recently as investors lower their expectations for how soon the Fed could cut rates. With most major Asian markets closed for holidays, analysts said they expected a quiet day in markets as traders wait for U.S. inflation data on Tuesday, as well…