alexda asked:


Fashion Access, the largest international trade fair for handbags, travelware, footwear, leather and fur garments, and fashion accessories in Asia, was held on 3-5 October 2007, in Hong Kong.

The theme was on the forthcoming season with the slogan ‘Let’s Go Summer 2008′.

The event attracted exhibitors from Europe, the Americas and throughout Australasian.

There were 86 first-time exhibitors (always important for buyers seeking something completely new) from Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Ireland, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom. A greatly expanded handbag section accommodated the wide variety of handbag specialisation in the industry: such as sports, classic and party. Buyers were able to view an even greater range offered by suppliers from all over the world.

The well-established ‘Best of APLF Awards’ again attracted strong competition among exhibitors. A series of seminars covered topics such as visual merchandising for exhibitors; future fashion trends and – what some believe may be the next ‘big thing’ – eco-friendly fashion: with an emphasis on how it can be both fashionable and commercial.

Over the three days Fashion Access welcomed 6,238 buyers, from 63 countries and regions. Significant interest was shown by new buyers from Korea and Thailand: each recorded growth of 32%, followed by visitors from The Philippines and Japan with 27% and 10% growth respectively.

In keeping with the steady development of Fashion Access over the years more resources and facilities have been added to assist buyers (and exhibitors too) forecast emerging trends in materials, colours and designs. The Materials Trends Lounge proved invaluable while the new StyleCast enabled selected exhibitors to display their latest designs to a wide audience.

Fashion Access was held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wanchai – the hub of Hong Kong’s vibrant commercial and entertainment district.

Click here to read about Buyers’ Comments, Exhibitors’ Comments:

The next Fashion Access will be held in Hong Kong. It will run concurrently with APLF – Materials, Manufacturing & Technology. Events not to be missed!

The theme will focus on the forthcoming season of winter 20008/09. So,’Let’s Get Ready for Fashion Access Winter 2008/09′.

For more information, please visit www.ishoesclub.com

 

Dating Fish asked:


Philippine women or Filipinas are becoming popular these days, in America or any other Western countries. Filipino girls are famous in their characteristics which are faithful to their husbands, hard-working especially housework, taking good care of their children, and etc. Philippine women are different from traditional Filipino ladies. They are on high-level of education and getting good jobs as Philippine men. In Philippine traditional society, Philippine women can not make their own marriages, but most of their marriages are arranged by elders or the family of the boys. We sometimes feel heart-brokenly for such Philippine brides who got to live with unknown-until-married husbands to the rest of their life. Philippine American are gathered in California, USA at most. Even Philippine American girls who live in USA for a long time, they still keep their family-oriented custom.

There are 7 golden characteristics of Philippine girls or brides that you should know of. We want to say the beauty of Philippine women who are beautiful and gentle, patient and respectful to the Philippine traditional custom; that is, they take a good care of their husband and children. Women in Japan respect their men or their husband from the time they know their men until falling in love, and get married, and become the wives, they always respect the love that is giving by their husbands. A Philippine woman usually does not get divorced if she has an unfaithful husband because she always try to work it out to maintain her family and raise her children.

A Philippine woman usually keeps traditional family custom. They maintain and try to support their family relationship and respect their husbands as well as let their men lead the family. When you meet with A Philippine girl, you will see what I am talking about here, and will see Philippine ladies are the most pretty women on the world. In other words, Philippine women are someone who are honest, pretty, and faithful to their husbands because of their family oriented custom which you rarely find in Western women, generally. When Western guys look at the beautiful yellow skin and skinny body of most of Philippine girls, they will love them. Moreover, their faithful characteristics to their husbands and unlimited satisfaction of taking care of their children make Philippine women unique.

In other words, getting married with Philippine women are the best. Filipino ladies from Asia countries such as Japan, China, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and etc are the top. Philippine women who are currently living in the Western countries are the next best. Why Filipino women are the top women? Because they can cook delicious dinner and there are no guilt trips for going out with the guys after getting married. They are skinny, thin, and beautiful and there are no fights between husband and wife. In fact, when a Western guy find and talk to A Philippine woman, they never want to date with Western girls again. Moreover, Filipino ladies always keep classy, cultured, traditional values. So, they are decent wives for Western men. In fact, 7 golden characteristics of Philippine wives are:

1. Philippine girls are skinny, thin, and beautiful;

2. Philippine women can cook daily meals;

3. Philippine ladies are very family oriented;

4. Philippine woman enjoys her housework.

5. Philippine lady takes care of her children;

6. Filipino female is very hardworking and enjoy working;

7. Filipino women rarely goes out for the guys after married;

So, are you ready to find special Philippine girls? Do not wait. Take action now. Join these free Filipino dating services to find that special soul mate of your dream.

Emma Brown asked:


This is a good questions with an easy answer, yes! Thailand has had some political trouble recently but the good news is that most problems have mainly been concentrated in Bangkok. Also there have been no incidents which involved foreigners at all. The Thai people are undoubtedly passionate about the politics of their country but they are also one of the most respectful group of people in the world.

The Thai people respect foreigners and welcome foreigners to their country and this is regardless of whether there are protests or not. So yes this is a good time to go to Thailand and enjoy this wonderful country. Thailand has been for a very long time one of the favorite places for travel in the world and will continue to be for a very long time to come.

One of the most popular and safest destinations in Thailand is Chiang Mai. Located only one house flight from Bangkok it is a peaceful, beautiful and very welcoming destination. Chiang Mai for very good reasons is one of the most visited places in Thailand.

Chiang Mai is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand, and is the capital of Chiang Mai Province. It is located among some of the highest mountains in the country. Chiang Mai has become an increasingly modern city and has many attractions for the thousands of foreign visitors who come each year.

Chiang Mai International Airport receives up to 28 flights a day from Bangkok and also serves as a local hub for services to other northern cities such as Chiang Rai, Phrae and Mae Hong Son. International services also connect Chiang Mai with other regional centers, including Hong Kong (China), Jinghong, (China), Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Kunming (China), Luang Phrabang (Laos), Mandalay (Myanmar), Manila (Philippines), Seoul (Korea), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Singapore (Singapore), and Taipei (Taiwan).

Chiang Mai is a great place for an eco tour and a meaningful travel experience. The city and surrounding areas have so much to offer. The city itself is such a great holiday spot with many guesthouses and shops and the many temples spread around the city give the city its charm.

Around Chiangmai there are many opportunities for the responsible traveler such as volunteering, hilltribe homestay, trekking and adventure sports. There is so much to do which can keep you busy for a very long time!

What does it mean to be a responsible traveler in Thailand and join an eco tour ? Anyone can be a responsible traveler! Responsible travel or eco travel as it is mostly called means to go travel or join an eco tour that follows the eco way of travel.

The Eco travel way is the essence of responsible travel. Eco travel follows the principles of responsible travel which means a way of travel that conserves the local environment and benefits the well-being of the local people.

It means respecting the local people and environment by leaving the place as you found it, and even improving it by environmental work or volunteering. Mass tourism tends to leave a big footprint which harms the environment and also creates a lot of inconvenience for the local people. Also eco tours try to benefit the local people as much as possible by employing local tour guides and using locally owned and operated facilities.

Christine Layug asked:


Magazines are very general in which covers everything from Art Magazines, Auto and Cycle Magazines, Business and Finance Magazines, Children Magazines, Cooking and Food Magazines, Entertainment Magazines, Fashion Magazines, Health and Fitness Magazines, Home and Gardening Magazines, Lifestyle Magazines, Photography Magazines, Sports Magazines, Teens Magazines, Women’s Magazines and Men’s Magazines. But when it comes to Men’s magazines, especially here in the Philippines, Maxim magazine Philippine is the best choice of all.

Maxim magazine Philippine is an international English language lad magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its revealing pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, of which none are *****.

Maxim is very popular among the men and even the women throughout the world such as Argentina, Canada, India, Indonesia, Israel, Belgium, Romania, the Czech Republic, France (marketed under “Maximal”), Germany, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Russia (where it stands now as the most popular men’s magazine), Serbia, the Philippines (which is known now as Maxim magazine Philippine), Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Ukraine, and Portugal.

Maxim magazine Philippine is one of the most used men’s magazine here in the Philippines next to FHM. So if you’re thinking of buying some Maxim magazine Philippine then why not avail on M-Express. M-Express is the first ever online magazine shop here in the Philippines.

M-Express does not only sell Maxim magazine Philippine but other magazines such as Food Magazine Philippines, Fashion Magazine Philippines, Homestyle magazine philippines, Game magazine philippines and many more.

M-Express doesn’t only sell magazines such as Maxim magazine Philippine but also makes deliveries throughout the country for free. M-Express manages this because M-Express is powered by the most reliable courier service here in the Philippines, the LBC. M-EXPRESS is the first ever door-to-door magazine delivery service in the country. It is the convenient way to order magazines anytime and anywhere you are in the Philippines. You can place subscriptions or order per title allowing you the flexibility to control your budget.

For more information on Maxim magazine Philippine, then visit http://www.m-express.com.ph

Bercle George asked:


There are many islands located in the Philippines, and one of them is the Boracay, which covers three kilometers of white beach.

Visitors can either decide to join a guided tour or hire a tourist guide for their group alone. Rain forests offer a huge variety of tropical fruits, such as bananas, papayas, pineapples, durians, mangoes, and many others. The natural landscapes, the climatic conditions, the tropical animals, fruits, and vegetables found here make the Philippines a beautiful place to visit.

Tourist Destinations:

-Bohol is also blessed with a numerous white sand beaches, and Panglao Island is one of the famous destinations, having powdery sand.

-White Beach, Boracay Boracay Island is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

-The province of Palawan is an island in the South China Sea.

Luxury resorts will often also be in based in exceptionally desirable and strategic worldwide locations, from beautiful tropical islands, to snow caked mountains, to scenic lakes and rivers, to exhilarating cities. Boholanos, as what the natives are called, are very proud of the natural wonders that are bestowed in the island. Everyone head for the nearest beach so if you don’t want to feel crowded when you’re sunbathing, set your travel date for another time of the year.

Foods:

The Filipinos also eat uncooked seafood that is stuffed with onions and wrapped in a banana leaf. People, who have sensitive taste buds and are ready to experiment with different cuisines, can try the dishes cooked by the Philippines. To the Filipinos, simple cooking basically means fish and its varieties, fetched directly from the sea.

The American culture has brought with it major fast food giants, such as KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and Burger King.

The Philippines’ recipes reflect the tastes of India, China, and Japan, as well as Spain, Portugal, and even the US.

Events:

-The World Pyro Olympics is held in the Philippines every year starting from December 2005.

-The Santacruzan during May and which each and every town parades its most beautiful residents in a walk around town.

-The flower season of Baguio-described as the summer capital of the Philippines because of its perennially cool weather-is something to look forward to.

Shopping:

Prices of the goods for Philippine bargains are comparable to the ones in Thailand and in China. Bargains in the Philippines are cheaper compared to the bargains in Singapore and Hong Kong. For personal gifts or gifts for the home, you will find an enormous selection for Philippine online shopping at Internet malls.

Alejandro Guevara Onofre asked:


FIDEL CASTRO IS NOT AUGUSTO PINOCHET

By Alejandro Guevara Onofre

INTRODUCTION:

Since 1960 Fidel and Raul Castro have send a sinister example to Third World nations. The number of countries which democratically governed and respect human rights is decreasing since 2004.Today there are many dictatorships: Thailand, Venezuela, Zimbabwe…

OPPOSITION BY ANTI-PINOCHET GROUPS

Miss Chile,Jenny Purtho Arap, was eliminated in the first round at the Miss Universe Pageant on July 26, 1982, in Lima, Peru´s capital city. Certainly, she, a girl with charming personality and beautiful eyes, was the big favourite by the international journalism. I think that Chile should have been crowned Miss Universe in my country.I believe that she was robbed of title for political reasons.

One of the major problems which Chilean dictatorship had to face was the international boycott campaign.From 1973 to 1989 Chile suffered international sanctions. Different from Cuba, many countries did not have diplomatic relations with Augusto Ramon Pinochet Ugarte, who ruled from 1973 to 1990. Many Chileans did not get VISA, an example was Claudio Arrau, one of the best pianists in the history. The same history of Israel, Taiwan, Rhodesia (currently Zimbabwe) and South Africa (Apartheid).

Ironically, The People`s Republic of China and Romania recognized the Chilean dictatorship. Under the leadership of Mao Tse-tung and Jiang Qing, First Lady of the Chinese Revolution, China and Chile had maintained good diplomatic relations.However, Pinochet Ugarte was harshly attacked by the USSR, Cuba, East Germany, Mexico, Sweden, Italy and Norway.

In 1980 Ferdinand Marcos, dictator of Philippines, invited Augusto Pinochet to come to his country.On March, 1980, he left Santiago de Chile for Philippines and made transit stops in Fidji,an ex British colony, and Tahiti.When Augusto Pinochet arrived Suva, the capital city of Fiji, a small country in the South Pacific, some human rights activists were waiting for him.There were protests against Chilean dictator´s visit.His tour had already begun when the tour was cancelled abruptly at the last moment by the dictatorship Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.

1976: In the Davis Cup final match , the Chileans lost to Italy, but the team from Chile had a particularly difficult tournament. In Rome, a group of people blocked the entrance to stadium before the match between Chile and Italy, chanting: “Pinochet is a dictator”…”He is a genocide”…Pinochet is Hitler”…and “Pinochet is the worst dictator in the history”.Certainly, Chile´s participation again became an issue.

Many famous people went to Festival Internacional de la Canción Viña del Mar, but they were criticized by human rights activists and journalists. Camilo Sesto, Spanish singer, was called “Camilochet”. In July 1978, the Mexican government objected to the presence of Miss Chile , Marianne Muller, in the Miss Universe Pageant beauty in Acapulco, Mexico.Another example:Jorge Luis Borges was considered one of the best writers in the 20th Centur.He was nominated several times for the Nobel Prize for Literature, but Borges was never awarded the Noble Prize by Swedish Academy.Why? In 1976 Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges visited Chile. Cuba would have wanted to have a writer like him…

The Chilean dictator Augusto Jose Ramon Pinochet never was accepted by the Latin America Community and Third World countries.Pinochet became notorious for human rights abuses and corruption. From 1973 to 1989, more than 3,000 Chileans were killed by Pinochet`s Secret Police Force. His autocratic and anti-communism style of rule earned him many enemies.

THE STUDENT SURPASS THE TEACHER

In comparison to Augusto Pinochet and Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina, Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz , whose father was a Spanish immigrant, is not famous like dictator… He is called “Third World spokesman” Why? Unfortunately people that don´t know Cuba very much think that Castro is a “good man”. Honestly, he never has been compared to Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier, former dictator of Haiti, and Charles Taylord. “The student always surpass the teacher” is my favourite slogan. In my opinion, I think that Castro´s Communist dictatorship is worse than the former Chilean. Dictatorship.

Cuba is one of the few nations in the world in which a family controls the government. From 1960 to 2006 Fidel Castro was President of the Council of State and Council of Ministers, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba…Currently, Raul Castro Ruz, Fidel´s brother, is the Head of State.They claim that Cuba has the most highest human development rate in the Third world and that Cubans live better in the Island than in South Korea, Singapoore, Taiwan and India.During Cold War, Cuba received more money per capita than the Socialist Republic of Ethiopia, one of the most poorest nations on Earth.

The country`s resources are used to build Olympic projects devised by dictator`s megalomania. Cuba has one of the most highest ******* rates in the world and the Island has the highest number of abortions in Latin America in relation to its population.Ironically, the standard of human development is going down. Ultimately the prostitution is increasing alarmingly in the Island. The dictatorship restricts such liberties as freedom speech and freedom of the press. Under the socialism, the government has imposed sharp restrictions on artists who criticize the dictatorial system. Reports Without Borders considers Cuba one of the “15 enemies of the Internet”. More than 300 artists and writers have defected since 1960: Jose Manuel Carbonell (poet), Lydia Cabrera( writer), Ernesto Caparros (photographer), Ernesto Lecuona(pianist), Guillermo Cabrera Infante (writer), Enrique Labrador (writer), Jesus Diaz (film maker) Nestor Almendros (film maker) and Jorge Esquivel (dancer).

KILLINGS FIELDS AND GAYS

Cuba`s dictatorship was one of the firsts states in the world that prohibited homosexuality. The general gays rights situation under Cuban Revolution was catastrophic during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.Many gays were jailed, tortured and exiled by Castro´s “Olympic Paradise”…Reynaldo Arenas, a *** writer, was imprisoned several times because of his longtime opposition to Cuban rule.After release, Arenas wrote his autobiography, with the title “Antes que caiga la noche” (Before night falls).

The Cuban Secret Police is extensively used by Fidel and Raul Castro to suppress and disrupt pro-democratics movements. However, a number of protests against human rights violation are organized by Las Damas de Blanco. Las Damas de Blanco have been compared to Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo (Argentina), who fought against the dictator Jorge Rafael Videla.

Unfortunately, some Third World democracies support the Cuban government for economical reasons. Cuba has sent more than 6,000 doctors, coaches, technicians and teachers around the world. Furthermore there are 15,000 foreign students in the Island.

I would like to finish my essay “Fidel Castro is not Augusto Pinochet” with my favourite personal motto: “Only oppression should fear the full exercise of freedom” by Jose Marti.

REFERENCES:

Alzota, Julio. “Hoy en el Perú surgirá la más bella del Universo”, La Prensa, Lima, 26 de julio 1982.

-Bonilla, Juan José-Payan, Miguel-López, José-Villalba, Susana. Diccionario Mundial de Actores, Ediciones JC, Madrid, 1998

-Caputo, Robert. “Ethiopia Revolution in Ancient Empire”; National Geographic, Washington DC, may 1983

-Diccionario de Literatura Cubana (tomos I y II), Editorial Letras Cubanas, La Habana, 1980

-Diccionario Sopena de Literatura de Literatura (tomo I), Editorial Ramón Sopena, Barcelona, 1991

-Documental: El Caso Pinochet /Chile/ 2001

-Encyclopaedia Británica Book of The Year 1977, 1981, 1984, Encyclopaedia Britannica. Chicago

-Freedom in the World. The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties 1992-93, Freedom House, 1993

-Gasparini, Juan. Mujeres de Dictadores, Ediciones Península, Barcelona, 2002

-Grondona, Mariano. “La otra Cuba”, Visión, Miami, diciembre de 1993

-Guevara Onofre, Alejandro. “Crisis de Supervivencia en Cuba”, Diario El Peruano, Lima, 25 de agosto de 1992

-Guía del Mundo 1993-94, Instituto del Tercer Mundo, Montevideo, 1992

-Guzmán, Patricio. Documental: La Batalla de Chile (II)/Chile/ 1977

-Huntington, Samuel. The Third Wave. Democratization in the Latre Twentieth Century, University Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1991

-Informatodo 1970, Editorial Reader´s Digest, México, 1969

-Informe sobre Desarrollo Humano 1991-2006, PNUD, New York

-Jorge, Antonio. The Cuban Economy: Dependency and Development, University of Miami, Miami, 1989

-Lande, Carl. “The Return of People Power in The Philippines”, Journal of Democracy, Washington DC, January 2001

-Miller, Nicola. Soviet Relations with Latin America 1959-1987, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1989

-Roca, Ana. “Charlemos con Reinaldo Arenas: un escritor en el exilio”, Americas, Washington DC, septiembre de 1981

-Roca, Sergio. Socialist Cuba: Past Interpretations and Future Challenges, Westview Press, London

-Rodriguez Elizondo, José. Crisis y Renovación de las Izquierdas, Editorial Andres Bello, Santiago, 1995

-Suchlicke, Jaime. The Cuban Military Under Castro, University of Miami, Miami, 1989

-Taufic, Camilo. Chile en la Hoguera, Ediciones Corregidor, Buenos Aires,1974

-The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1975-2006, The World Almanac Books, New York, New Jersey

-Vargas Llosa, Mario. “El Lenguaje de la Pasión”, Peisa, Lima, 2000

-Zandrox. “Una de ellas puede ser Miss Universo”, Extra, Lima, 26 de julio 1982

Rajinder Dogra asked:

The SMERFs, a hardy and growing bunch, are travelling Asia for Social, Military, Education, Religious, and Fraternity reasons, offering vast untapped potential for this regions developing and recovering travel markets says Abacus International.

Their reasons for travelling are as diverse as war and peace, study and learning, seeking their god or just to catch up with like-minded people, but what they have in common is a will to travel even if times get tough. They do not mind even gathering in non peak times if it will help keep the costs down.

They are the SMERFS. No relation to their cuddly namesakes of television fame, they are the resilient groups travelling to and around Asia in their millions for social, military, education or religious reasons, or as part of fraternity groups such as alumni, workplace re unions or special interest groups.

Abacus International President and CEO, Mr Don Birch says that despite being budget conscious, the SMERFs collectively form a huge market and have vast untapped potential for developing or recovering Asian travel markets.

Abacus International estimates that the SMERF market across Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore alone is worth US$1.7 billion a year, based on an accepted US formula that the SMERF market is equivalent to about one third of the total meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) market.

Whereas their better known cousins the MICE are serviced by specialist divisions within major hotel groups, travel agencies and dedicated Government programmes, the SMERFS are often below the radar and therefore harder to measure.

They are hardy and budget-conscious travellers which make them ideal for developing or recovering markets or as a complementary segment in peak markets, Mr Birch continued.

The SMERFs helped sustain the US hotel and airline industry in the period following the 9/11 terrorist events, and have shown themselves to be very resilient in the face of international in the face of international events, Don Birch said.

Who are the SMERFS?

The SMERFs are part of a wider trend in the travel market towards more outcome based travel travel for a purpose other than just to see things, and they’re more prepared than ever to travel abroad to achieve their aims according to Mr Birch.

This seemingly diverse group is united by a willingness to travel despite the economic cycle, to go off-peak and even off the beaten track if that is what it takes to track down budget transport and accommodation, Don Birch said.

Social travel traverses the fields of sports, special interest, ethnic, talent and dance organisations, with more and more diverse ethnic and professional associations adding to the growth. Examples include womens groups, volunteer workers and social sports teams travelling domestically or inter country for tournaments.

The growing number of car owners joining clubs in Singapore such as BMW.sg, TeamChevy Singapore and the Toyota Club Singapore, are a case in point. Aside from their regular monthly meetings where enthusiasts exchange tips on the technical aspects their cars, these clubs also serve as a rallying point for trips overseas, either to Sepang in Malaysia for a day of track racing or to other regional destinations for leisure trips. Further afield, fans of the Lord of the Rings have travelled to New Zealand in their thousands to experience in person some of the magic of the film. A guide book to the filming locations has now sold over 300,000 copies becoming the fifth largest ever selling non-fiction book in New Zealand in the process.

The Lord of the Rings has created the largest film tourism event the world has ever seen. Thousands of people have flocked to Middle earth New Zealand to follow in the footsteps of the hobbits and to bring back some of the emotions they felt when watching the film or reading the book, says Ian Brody author of the Location guide, which is selling just as well a full three years after the last movie in the trilogy.

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Director of the Strategic Intelligence Centre (SIC), Mr John Koldowski says there is also a well beaten path from India to the exotic film locations of Switzerland and Austria, as fans of Bollywood seek out the sets of their favourite movies.

The social category is a good market for hotel sales staff who want to fill room blocks in off-season and weekend periods, but attracting these bookings is reliant on repeat business, word of mouth from existing customers, and direct marketing to social organisers and providing the right kind of accommodation offers, Mr Birch said.

We used to think about SMERF groups as a market niche for budget hotels and hostel style accommodation, now they use convention and conference centres, university facilities, suburban hotels, downtown hotels, resorts and even unsold apartment complexes.

Military travel

Asias estimated 32 million soldiers are often on the move usually by military transport, but often by civilian travel networks in countries such as Thailand, Taiwan and Singapore. Not surprisingly, the Philippines is one of the largest military travel markets in the region. With its more than 400,000 strong army and vast territory of 7,000 islands, even the coming and going of soldiers on leave is a highly significant market.

While exact figures are difficult to procure due to the sensitivity of military travel, the growing number of websites specialising in military travel in this region, attest to the scale of interest in this market and present a highly focused audience for travel suppliers seeking to reach this market, Mr Birch said.

Education travel

The Singapore experience demonstrates the potential of the education travel market. Prospects for inbound educational travel are promising with the number of international students in Singapore for long-term studies (one month +) growing from 60,000 in 2003 to well over 70,000 in 2005 according to the Singapore Tourism Board. The Singapore Government is targeting to achieve 150,000 international students by 2015, particularly from China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam.

From summer camps to immersion programmes, travel operators in Asia are beginning to discover the value of outbound educational tourism in the region.

One of Singapores most established travel operators, Chan Brothers Travel, set up its own Educational Travel Centre (ETC) in 2003 to cater to the emerging educational travel market in Singapore, conducting tours for student groups to destinations such as China, England, Germany, Australia and Turkey during the student vacation months of June and December.

Another relative newcomer on the educational tour scene, Wing On Travel in Hong Kong offers English language and activity tours to Britain, Australia, Singapore, Canada and mainland China. Reflecting their commitment to cater to this emerging travel market, the agency decided to create a dedicated educational tour division. The company launched its first study tours in 2004 and this year plans to take 14 groups to Britain alone.

Mr Birch says, This travel segment has a high growth potential but travel operators need to be aware of the challenges inherent in conducting educational tours for school groups. Parents expectations, differences in cultural understanding and catering for homesick young students are just some of the many issues that tour operators will have to address through equipping their staff with the necessary skill sets and expertise.

While students from Hong Kong and Singapore are venturing to foreign shores for a comprehensive educational experience, Indian students are discovering Indias own cultural identity and heritage. Mr P Saravanan, from Viking Tours and Travels in Chennai, South India said that school groups are mainly travelling to experience the history, culture and monuments of other Indian states generally in groups of 25-40 people.

The school groups are very budget in their accommodation needs. That is 1 or 2 star, with as many as 3 or 4 children sharing each room, but they’re definitely a valuable market, because schools come back a number of times, as do families of the children as they grow up, so it is a valuable part of marketing, Mr Saravanan said.

A pioneer in the educational travel segment, Thai tour operator Track of the Tiger has been running educational tours for students from Australia and the UK for more than ten years. Mr Shane Beary, Director, said that the demand for educational programmes at its Maekok River Village Resort & Outdoor Education Centre has been growing at an average rate of 25 to30% over the past five years and recorded 7,500 room nights in 2005. With a market base that has grown to include students from Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangladesh and Thailand, Track of the Tiger now offers programmes at Pang Soong lodge, its new Outdoor Education & Research Centre in Mae On, Chiang Mai, covering a range of environmental, and outdoor programmes for student groups, as well as team building and ‘voluntourism options for the corporate sector.

Mr Beary commented, Our experience has shown that there are many overlaps between educational, volunteer and eco tourism, which we have tried to build on in developing our programmes.

Religious travel

As one of the worlds most populous and largest regions, Asia is also recognised as the birthplace of Buddhism and Hinduism.

Countries such as China, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and the Philippines have a cultural heritage steeped in some of the worlds major religions, and government policies to develop joint tourist attractions such as the Buddhist circuit in Taiwan, China, Sri Lanka and India have definitely grown the pie for their respective religious tourism markets,said Mr Birch.

Agreeing, PATAs John Koldowski said, Religious traffic tends to be fuelled by domestic bookings but increasingly, there are more pilgrimages being organised for inbound tourists which usually cover more than one destination. For example, there is a distinct Buddhist circuit such as the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Sri Lanka and a trail covering revered Buddhist sites in India.

With a myriad of religious sites throughout the country, India has an established group of religious tour operators to cater to the many domestic and foreign pilgrims that throng India during the peak travel periods of April, May and November.

Mr Ashok Negi, from Rajarani Travels in Mumbai reports that the tours run by his agency and its network of six branch offices throughout India has facilitated pilgrimages for more than 50,000 tourists to various religious sites in the country. According to Mr Negi, visits to popular religious sites such as Vaishnodevi and the temple at Tirupati constitute as much as 25% of Indias domestic tourism.

Christianity is the other religion fuelling growth in another Asian destination, the Philippines. Having provided its services for more than four decades in Southeast Asias most populous Catholic country, Catholic Travel, Inc. has positioned itself as the Pilgrimage Specialist.

According to Ms. Carmina Orbe, General Manager, most pilgrims are from the Philippines, and they also have pilgrims from Hong Kong, Rome, Canada and Los Angeles not only joining a pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Israel) but having a pilgrimage in the Philippines. Priests that have joined our pilgrimages to the Holy Land have found a renewed inspiration in their vocational work for the community. I guess the visits have brought new meaning to the places and events in the Bible that they had only studied in the seminary previously.

Across Asia, missionary teams are also frequent travellers, with agencies such as World Vision and Youth With a Mission (YWAM), mobilising large numbers of people annually. For example, YWAM Singapore takes approximately 150 volunteers to developing countries in the region such as Myanmar, Indonesia and India, over five to ten such trips every year.

Fraternal travel

Although not as significant a market as educational or religious travel, a growing number of civil associations and groups such as Rotary International and Lions Club International have begun to look towards Asia as a possible destination for their international gatherings.

The Rotary Club held its international convention in Singapore, its first Southeast Asian venue in 1999, and again in Osaka, Japan in May 2004 for more than 45,000 Rotary club members from 96 countries. Lions Club International held its 88th International Convention in Hong Kong from 27 June to 1 July 2005, catering to approximately 20,000 Lions Club members and their accompanying family members and friends. This generated almost US$19 million of direct tourism spending and spin-off business for the retail, catering and tourism-related sectors.

Traditional MICE destinations such as Singapore and Hong Kong have paved the way for Asias rise as a conventions venue on the world stage. This has allowed emerging economies in Thailand, India and Vietnam to offer companies and fraternal associations more variety in their choice of meeting venues Mr Birch said.

Targeting the SMERFs

There are some commonly accepted issues in targeting the SMERF market says Abacus Mr Don Birch. For example recent cost increases in the Asia hotel sector which saw average room rates rise in major cities (for example 17% last year in Singapore) are not good news for SMERFs.

More meetings and higher hotel prices can limit options for SMERFS, but SMERF planners can still find open arms in markets such as second and third tier cities eager to lure back budget groups,said Mr Birch.

For sales and marketing managers within the industry, finding SMERF planners is harder than just finding Association planners.

Seeking local contacts that are affiliated with these types of groups is critical. Local networking is also needed to identify SMERF groups and their planners. Resources such as the research directories of organisations, affordable meetings conferences, and even the personal networks of a propertys employees all have their place in pinning down the SMERFs, Mr Birch said.

The internet also plays a key role as both a research and communication channel for both SMERF planners and sales and marketing teams.

The internet clearly improves the chances of buyers and sellers in the SMERF universe finding a good match on location, venue and the experiences to be offered during the period of travel, Mr Birch added.