Siem Reap Tourism Club Update

The Siem Reap Tourism Club (STC) has launched several new initiatives aimed at promoting tourism and supporting the local community in the area.

The STC has successfully implemented various projects, including a charity event that raised funds for the Angkor Hospital for Children, a cross-border motor ride from Thailand to Cambodia, and support for the ULS on We Love Siem Reap Campaign. This campaign encourages individuals to share their love for Siem Reap by taking picture posts and winning prizes. Additionally, the organisation has conducted capability training programs and signed memorandums of understanding with Destination Mekong as a strategic partner for destination promotion and Satapana Bank for digital and fintech solutions for the tourism industry.

Furthermore, the STC has partnered with Siem Reap Provincial Hall and JICA to develop a digital platform that supports the Smart Tourism initiative. This platform will connect tourists with local businesses and attractions while providing information on sustainable tourism practices.

The STC has also launched a pre-employment program to recruit 300 students from low-income families in five remote districts (Chikreng, Kralanh, Angkor Chum, Varin, and Prasat Bakong), starting in April 2023. The program aims to provide training and employment opportunities for local residents, support the development of a skilled tourism workforce, and STC has joined HOKA as one of the speakers to share about tourism skills being essential for life.

“We are thrilled to announce these new initiatives, which demonstrate our commitment to supporting the local community and promoting sustainable tourism in Siem Reap,” said STC’s president. “We look forward to continuing these efforts in the years ahead and working with our partners and stakeholders.”

For more information on Siem Reap Tourism Club’s initiatives and programs, please visit their website at [www.siemreaptourismclub.com]

Confluences selected to become exclusive agent in Cambodia for Doppelmayr Group, global leader in ropeway mobility

Confluences, the leading business growth catalyst in Cambodia and ASEAN is particularly delighted to announce the signing of a representation agreement in Cambodia with the leading international ropeways manufacturer, Doppelmayr Group.

‍The agreement was signed by Alexander Klimmer, Executive Director Sales @ Doppelmayr and Soreasmey Ke Bin, Confluences CEO on January, 2023 in Austria, Doppelmayr Headquarter, with the presence of Peter Vogelmann, Director International Sales @ Doppelmayr and Martin Ladner Area Manager @ Doppelmayr.

According to the agreement, Confluences will become, effective as of January, Doppelmayr Group’s exclusive agent in Cambodia with the objective of exploring and identify business opportunities in the Kingdom and bringing them to fruition.

The partnership will focus on developing mobility solutions in the Kingdom of Cambodia, where the country offers tremendous possibilities in tourism and urban transportation.

Click here for the full release: https://www.confluences.asia/blog/confluences-selected-to-become-exclusive-agent-in-cambodia-for-doppelmayr-group-global-leader-in-ropeway-mobility

Avani Hotels In Thailand Unveil New Hybrid Meetings Solutions

With remote and hybrid work becoming the new normal at the workplace, Avani Hotels & Resorts in Thailand are introducing a host of technology-based MICE products to make the transition to a more digital environment as seamless as possible.

With demand for ZOOM, Microsoft Teams and other video calling apps on the rise, Avani has expanded into digital services to offer event planners such solutions as online attendee management, interactive polling, rental of live streaming equipment and services of a dedicated on-site technical team.

Available packages range from “Mini Meet” with up to 10 on-site attendees and 100 online participants to “Conference Pro” with 50 on-site and 500 online participants, six guest speakers and multiple 4K cameras. Creative production services such as digital backdrop design and waiting room visuals are also available, allowing event organisers to plan their inter-connected events efficiently. Allow Avani’s meeting professionals to handle all the technical aspects of the hybrid meeting. On-site participants will enjoy traditional hospitality in the form of theme coffee breaks and meeting spaces designed to inspire.

Read more at https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4105360.html?utm_source=pocket_mylist

UNWTO launches digital tools to revitalise tourism

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has partnered with MUST Travel & Tech to place a digital tool at the service of tourism, allowing users to share their experiences to promote the reactivation of the sector with a view to sustainability.

Presented during the UNWTO Mayors’ Forum in Porto, Portugal, the tool is an opportunity for the advancement of smart cities, as well as destinations that incorporate technology and innovation in their development. Already operating in 60 countries, MUST aggregates all the information of interest to travellers in one place. By also integrating key information and analysis from UNWTO, it aims to become a leading tourism application and generate opportunities for destinations.

Visibility provided through technological tools is an opportunity for those who, along the entire value chain of the sector, require support to restart their activity, from new destinations around rural communities, to destinations with a high degree of infrastructure development.

“We welcome innovative ideas and technologies that allow the creation of global and regional innovation ecosystems aimed at accelerating the recovery of tourism for development,” said UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili.

CEO of MUST, Pablo López, said: “Technology enhances the productivity and resilience of companies. The implementation of digital solutions in line with new trends in the tourism sector allows us to develop a differentiated, personalized and safe tourism product that is more focused on behaviour patterns and the management of spaces that will undoubtedly contribute to the recovery of a key activity for the economy in general.”

Read the full article at Travel Daily: https://www.traveldailymedia.com/unwto-launches-digital-tools-to-revitalise-tourism/

Digital wristband by Angkor Pass set to welcome visitors to the Kingdom

The Ministry of Tourism is preparing for post-Covid-19 travel with Wonderpass powered by Angkorpass Technology that enables seamless travel planning through a phone app and a wristband.

Minister of Tourism Thong Khon said that having a rehabilitation plan for the tourism sector after the Covid-19 crisis is crucial and transitioning to a digital technology platform will make payments fast and easy for visitors.

The minister will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Angkorpass Technology on Thursday.

Cambodia Tourism Federation (CTF) president Chef Luu Meng told Khmer Times yesterday: “We are ready to work with Ministry of Tourism on this digital system.”

“We are private sector businesses ready to manage new technology together,” he said, adding that special attention needs to be given to planning ahead for the future when travel opens up again.

Read the full article at Khmer Times: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50882359/digital-wristband-by-angkor-pass-set-to-welcome-visitors-to-the-kingdom/

UNWTO launches hospitality recruitment platform

Job-seekers are able to create a profile, search for positions that match their experience and skills, and set up job alerts to be informed of the latest opportunities. The platform also helps tourism businesses and organisations to find and recruit the best talent.

All of UNWTO’s 159 member states will be invited to use the Jobs Factory as their national tourism recruitment platform, as will its more than 500 affiliate members, ranging from businesses to universities and think tanks.

Additionally, through the Jobs of the Future Observatory, member states can also monitor current and future skills development to analyse trends. This will allow them to forecast and identify gaps and mismatches and make data-driven decisions.

UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The pandemic has hit global tourism hard. Up to 120 million jobs are at risk. However, tourism has a long history of adapting and embracing innovation. The Jobs Factory will be a great help to the millions of people who depend on tourism. It connects employers with the very best talent our sector has to offer. And it will help our member states make important decisions based on the latest, trusted data.”

Source: https://www.ttgasia.com/2021/06/18/unwto-launches-hospitality-recruitment-platform/

System kicked off to receive feedback in tourism

By installing an app named Du Lịch Việt Nam An Toàn (A Safe Trip in Việt Nam), visitors can provide feedback on issues in tourism services including those related to fake and poor quality products, fraud, price pressure, improper advertising and food safety. 

The information will be collected, verified and handled by the Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) in coordination with the Việt Nam Directorate of Market Surveillance (VNDMS) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The VNAT and VNDMS earlier signed a co-operation agreement to boost and promote the application of digital technology in tourism services, ensuring the interests of tourists and with a focus on strengthening coordination in receiving and processing feedback from tourists through the app Du Lịch Việt Nam An Toàn.

Accordingly, the app is linked to the professional information system of the VNDMS, allowing the two parties to easily exchange information, coordinate in receiving and dealing with tourists’ feedback ensuring the protection of their rights.

VNDMS will quickly receive the information and solve problems related to fake goods, poor quality goods, fraud, price pressure, improper advertising and food safety, thus contributing to promoting a healthy tourism market and improving service quality and the tourism reputation of the country.

A representative from the VNDMS said this was the first time the tourism and market management sectors signed a coordination regulation to strengthen State management, rectify acts of trade fraud, and protect tourists’ rights ensuring a healthy tourism business environment in Việt Nam.

The event has marked a new step in the model of cooperation between the two units based on the exploitation of modern digital technology, according to the official.

The app Du Lịch Việt Nam An Toàn will help connect tourists, service providers and state management agencies, the official said.

This new co-operation model promises to create a breakthrough to meet the requirements of tourism and help the industry develop more sustainably, the official added.

The app Du Lịch Việt Nam An Toàn was launched last year to provide a useful tool for tourists in Việt Nam. It is expected to improve tourists’ experience while travelling in the country.

The app is easy to find and on both Android and iOS with the image of a lotus, a symbol of Vietnamese tourism.

Tourists can use Vietnamese or English to find information on destinations in the country, estimate the safety level and how the pandemic is controlled in the places they are about to go and find suitable services.

COVID-19 has changed demand and the way people travel, so many people prioritise safety instead of competitive prices as they did before, according to Nguyễn Lê Phúc, vice chairman of the VNAT.

Read more: https://vietnamnews.vn/life-style/938505/system-kicked-off-to-receive-feedback-in-tourism.html

Govt to launch ‘Health Wallet’ app for Covid-19 vaccine registration

The government will soon launch “Health Wallet”, a smartphone app for people to register for Covid-19 vaccination.

Government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had discussed the preparation of a phone app for people to register to receive Covid-19 vaccines at a meeting with officials from the Public Health, Interior and Finance ministries on Friday morning.

The Health Wallet app would be used for Covid-19 vaccine registration. It would keep all registration data so vaccines could be distributed to people in all provinces.  

The Finance Ministry and Krungthai Bank would supervise the Health Wallet app and work  closely with the Public Health Ministry, which will launch the “Mor Prom’’ phone app, which allows people to book their Covid-19 vaccinaion.

Mr Anucha said the prime minister put emphasis on accelerating all processes to have Thais vaccinated against Covid-19,  so the country could fully re-open.

By year’s end, at least 60% of  the population should be vaccinated, in preparation for the official re-opening of the country in early 2022, the spokesman said.

Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2093951/govt-to-launch-health-wallet-app-for-covid-19-vaccine-registration

FROM SYSTEM SHOCK TO SYSTEM CHANGE – TIME TO TRANSFORM

In this report, we explore some of the key dynamics that lie at the heart of these transitions. And we ask how we can make active choices now that will transform our future prospects by embedding, at the heart of our strategies and plans, the realisation that a fundamentally different model is needed. A model that puts people’s wellbeing and planetary health first, as the overriding imperatives. Planetary health is not separate to human wellbeing. The two are intricately intertwined. In order to achieve the just, resilient and truly sustainable world we want we advocate a regenerative approach – enhancing the underlying capacity of all individuals, communities and ecosystems, to be healthy, to keep evolving, and fulfilling their potential.

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Cambodia introduces QR code scanning for venues to combat COVID-19

The  Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPTC) has set up a QR Code “Stop Covid” in an attempt to provide additional measures to increase the efficiency and speed of prevention and control of the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The Ministry of Health announced Saturday on the implementation of the QR Code and this moves comes as a direct response to the current February 20 Community Incident, which as of Saturday 9pm has seen 32 foreign nations being tested positive for COVID-19.

It said that the public need to scan the QR Code when traveling in and out of hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, entertainment venues, condominiums, companies, factories, and other enterprises which have a lot of foot traffic.

“This system will record the location of the person logged who had scanned the QR Code (a system that does not track or affect the privacy of the individual) and make it easier to find those involved or affected if that location is found to have COVID infected guests or patrons.”

The Intergovernmental Commission on the Prevention of COVID-19 also advised business owners, restaurant owners and the above-mentioned owners of crowded places to use the QR Code “Stop Covid-19”.

To get the QR Code to use, please go to stopcovid.gov.kh and click on “Request QR Code” . Then fill in the information and click on “Request QR Code” and click on “Download” to get a QR Code to print and paste in front of the business entry-exit points. Using this system is free of charge.

The Intergovernmental Commission for the Prevention of COVID-19 also called on the public to use the system to prevent the spread of the outbreak.

Source