Visit Maldives : Inside the tourism industry of Maldives
Visit Maldives (or Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation (MMPRC)) is mandated to promote all things tourism in the country, marketing the nation as a go-to destination for business travellers and holiday makers alike.
Business travel: A guide to Palau
We speak to Palau Visitors Authority about Palau, a nation made up of coral and volcanic islands.
China’s solar giant Suntech bankrupt
China's Suntech Power, one of the world's biggest solar-panel makers, has gone bust. The New York-listed company on Wednesday declared bankrupt and will reportedly reorganise. Suntech was once the world's largest solar panel producer and last week the company's board ousted founder Chinese-born Australian businessman Shi Zhengrong after 12 years in which he led it from nothing to world market domination and then to the edge of ruin. Suntech defaulted on repayments for a $541 million bond issue. At one point the solar giant had as many as 10,000 employees in its hometown of Wuxi and even set up a small assembly plant in the US. Chinese producers have flooded the global market since 2010 and trade disputes over alleged Chinese dumping caused a sudden and spectacular reversal of fortunes for Suntech. The firm recorded a net loss of $1.0 billion in 2011, from a profit of $237 million in 2010. It has yet to report financial results for 2012. Image: © Suntech Copyright is owned by Asia Outlook and/or Outlook Publishing. All rights reserved.
Bhutan: Many a Mountain to Climb
We take a look at Bhutan, a country with natural splendour and historic appeal unlike anything else on the planet.
Jakarta: The Melting Pot Means Business
For many of the world’s most recognisable cities and most visited destinations, there is a clear intertwining link between tourism and business travel, with the former more often driving the latter. Jakarta is an exception though, thriving as a significant global city being propelled by economic prominence on a global scale.In APAC specifically, the likes of Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok have long strived to become a traveller’s staple, which in turn has encouraged business and infrastructural development on a secondary note across key parameters. For Indonesia’s capital city and one of the world’s biggest melting pots though, the roles are reversed, and development really does mean business.In fact, the lines are quite clearly distinguished between the two notions; domestic visitors accounting for tourism and international swathes covering the more prominent business travel element. As the centre of economics, culture and politics in the country though, it is perhaps unsurprising.The extent of the latter is so extensive in fact, that it now defines modern day Jakarta. Once an indictment of wider Indonesian values and history, the city now is a diverse melting pot consisting of numerous different languages, ethnic groups, religions and nationalities; while the indigenous Betawi influences are more a subtle bonus rather than the overriding lifeblood of the area.Seen as both a positive and negative depending on what side of the coin you are, quite severe transport challenges through overpopulation can easily be forgotten if a more varied eclectic trip is what you’re looking for. And for associations such as the Jakarta Convention & Exhibition…
Solomon Islands: Seek the Unexplored
For many, notions of paradise revolve around peace, relaxation, untouched beauty, and isolation; a haven that almost seems unearthly in its make-up. When visiting the Solomon Islands though, you get a more loaded, complex, deep and poignant form of paradise that is optimising its natural tourism appeal to boost its overall economy and business acumen.Not just a fortress of solitude for holiday makers, the Solomon Islands in fact made its name as a genuine fortress during World War II and now reaps the sympathy and deserves of that hardship through a tourist influx that comprises war buffs, veterans and families; as well as the inevitable swathe of holiday-makers, scuba divers, surfers and backpackers each year.More recently though, a new demographic has entered the equation too, in the form of the business traveller. Creating a circle of opportunity, the increase in tourism has boosted levels of hospitality and conference potential in the country; subsequently encouraging more and more expos, delegations and conventions to be hosted across the nine provinces - most prominently in the capital, Honiara.Lonely Planet recently described the country as one of the top five in the world to visit, calling them “the South Pacific Islands as they used to be”, and this is backed-up vehemently by those truly in the know. The Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau has enjoyed a front-row seat to the rise of its beautiful country, and is playing an integral role in capitalising on its potential in the future.“The newly emerging, multi-faceted Solomon Islands can pretty much cater to every taste,…
Myanmar’s Ripple of Optimism
In typical Myanmar fashion, the country’s strive for more stable and sustainable economic prominence is continuing in unpredictable and bumpy style, with progress stunted if not irreparable despite some favourable contributors to its global status.April, 2016 saw the country’s first ever democratically elected Government come into power, representing a potential turn in the tide for a country which had only offered the rest of the world a sneak peek into its workings a few years previously.The event - a successful one at that - was supposed to usher in a new dawn of national prosperity; if not immediately, then certainly progressively and notably.Such a drastic change in structure isn’t always positive though, and the shock alone seemed to have a detrimental effect, translating into a period of disappointing growth between the election and March, 2017. Exports, even in established agricultural and commodity markets, struggled to make any headway and trade was also a cause for concern with exported goods in the first half of 2016 declining by a catastrophic 11.6 percent.Imports, in turn, also declined over the same period - by 6.7 percent - to compound the overall struggle to make inroads internationally; inevitably leading to a stall on the FDI front as well.“...foreign investments stalled, largely due to the confusion associated with the authority to approve them,” the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) explains in its quarterly forecast; The ICAEW Economic Insight: South East Asia. “The Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC), the official body responsible for approving investments, was disbanded in March,…
BRICS by Brick
As documented last year, 2015’s meeting between Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and former US president, Barack Obama sent a message out to not just the rest of Asia, but indeed the rest of the world; as the former stated: “India is not simply emerging; it is emerged!”At the time, it was widely acknowledged that India was indeed the ‘last BRIC standing’; alluding to the stunted growth of its fellowship - Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa. Labelled as a ‘star performer’ among emerging market economies, it was outperforming -most notably - its Asian counterpart, China; a label that was validated in becoming the only BRIC nation to see notable improvements across its economic performance in 2015.“Now's the time to dip your toe back into emerging markets”, said Aakash Ohri, Executive Director of DLF, one of India’s biggest property and development companies. “India, the biggest success story of the BRICS, presents a particularly profitable growth opportunity for investors.” He continued: “The market suffered a slump... but now the sector is making a recovery as India’s economy stands firm amongst other emerging markets and large economies.“The country’s real estate market has proven that it’s able to accommodate global, regional and local economic dynamics. With the relaxation of rules on foreign direct investments, there has been no better time to invest in the Indian property market .”It was expected that India’s rise to economic prominence would lead to an abundance of employment opportunities in particular, and while 2016 did indeed prove to be a year of solid growth for…
India Trade & Treasury Conference 2017
Join more than 200 top-tier names in the trade and treasury community for a day of lively debate, networking and discussion.For Indian companies involved in exporting their goods globally; for international corporates looking to enter the Indian market; for financial institutions providing funding options; for insurers and lawyers involved in covering these operations; for any institution involved in international trade finance, this established annual event is a prime opportunity to meet face-to-face with market peers – a place to share expertise and experiences first-hand at the only event of its kind in India.Topics covered include:· Putting the spotlight on India: Policy update, trade outlook and future developments· Understanding the mechanisms, structures and risk management strategies to succeed in the Indian market· Opportunities and challenges for digitisation and technology transformation: blockchain, trade receivables discounting, eUCP· Infrastructure financing and supply chain management for short and long-term projects· Creating strategies to mitigate trade credit and insurance risk for the Indian market and the role of stakeholders· International corporate perspectives on setting up businesses in India WHEN: 22 FebruaryWHERE: Taj Lands End, Mumbai, IndiaWEBSITE: http://www.gtreview.com/events/asia/india-trade-treasury-conference-2017/
Canadian Solar Power Sale
Canadian Solar Inc., one of the world's largest solar power companies, announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, CSI New Energy Holding Co. has completed the sale of two solar power plants in Jiangsu Province, China to Shenzhen Energy Nanjing Holding Co., a subsidiary of Shenzhen Energy Group Co., for approximately US$32.2 million. The transaction was closed on 30 December 2016 and the Company expects to recognise the difference between the sales proceeds and the book value of the projects under 'Other income (expenses)' in the income statement for the fourth quarter of 2016.Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar, commented, "We are delighted to have closed the sale of two more solar power plants in China. This is another important milestone, as we continue to monetise our quality solar project assets in China and other countries. We look forward to deepening our strategic partnership with Shenzhen Energy for more opportunities in the future."About Shenzhen Energy Nanjing Holding Co.Shenzhen Energy Nanjing Holding Co., Ltd. invests, constructs, and operates new energy and conventional energy projects. It operates as a subsidiary of Shenzhen Energy, a listed and state-owned company in China.About Canadian Solar Inc.Founded in 2001 in Canada, Canadian Solar is one of the world’s largest and foremost solar power companies. As a leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules and provider of solar energy solutions, Canadian Solar also has a geographically diversified pipeline of utility-scale power projects in various stages of development. In the past 16 years, Canadian Solar has successfully delivered over 17 GW of premium quality modules to over 90 countries around the world. Furthermore, Canadian Solar…
