Northstar

www.travelweekly-asia.com 17 OCTOBER 2019 D AY 2 TRAVEL WEEKLY ASIA I T B A S I A S H O W D A I L I E S 6 D estination marketing organisation Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) will be showcasing Sri Lanka Tourism's new brand "So Sri Lanka" at ITB Asia 2019. It's 'business as usual' for Sri Lanka: SLTPB managing director Hertz Asia to roll out premium range of rental services In Vietnam with franchisee partner, New City Rent A Car. The brand, "So Sri Lanka", was first unveiled at WTM London last November. Focusing on over 40 tourist generating markets, SLTPB hopes to capitalise on the island's recent award as "Best BY S.S. YOGA Get ready for 'Blood Shed' and hang out at 'Horrojuku' When years of sharksfin soup come back to haunt you. BY NAOMI NEOH Destination to Travel in 2019" by the Lonely Planet and the "Best Island in the World" by Travel and Leisure USA. SLTPB's managing director Charmarie Maelge said despite the bombings in April, Hertz Asia expanded into Vietnam in August with its new franchisee partner, New City Rent A Car, to offer its Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty brands. Car rental services have been rolled out in Ho Chi Minh City, and will be launched in Hanoi later this year. Hertz will be introducing its premium range of rental services from luxury SUVs, sedans and services such as its door-to-door professional driver service, Hertz Chauffer Drive, available for half- or full-day airport Sunway Lagoon Theme Park will once again offer its popular Night of Fright: Festival of Fear experience during the Halloween period starting Sept 27 to Nov 2, 2019 every Friday through Sunday, said Nicole Goh Bee Sin, senior sales manager. "We will be continuing our popular experience during the Halloween period Night of Fright, Festival of Fear for the seventh year every Friday to Sunday from 27 Sept to 2 Nov, 2019," reveals Nicole Goh Bee Sin, senior sales manager of Sunway Lagoon, Malaysia. Now in its seventh year, the scare fest will comprise eight haunted houses, one haunted theatre, two scare zones, 11 thrill rides and two show stages (only for those 13 years and above). Created and produced by the world-famous Lynton V. Harris and Sunway Lagoon, visitors get to experience, among others, cult classic Sharknado, while fighting off zombie animals, and facing the terrifying consequences of the Plague. One might encounter Blood.Shed while fleeing the mayhem and murder of models at Horrojuku. If you are not careful, you could even end up at the House of Voodoo or the ScaryTales theatre where you will find out about the (sometimes) dark art of the bomoh (a Malay shaman). With over 90 attractions across six parks (including the newest, Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon), this 88-acre, fully integrated multi-theme park, 30 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur, can also cater to events up to 20,000 guests. and city transfers. "Hertz is committed to offer in Vietnam the high- quality car rental service it is globally well-known for," said Eoin MacNeill, vice president Asia Pacific, Hertz. New City Rent A Car's chairman Nim Vuon Phu added that it is eager to operate in Vietnam's "flourishing market". VISIT: BOOTH R10 VISIT: BOOTH D45 VISIT: BOOTH C09 Hertz Asia heads to Vietnam Island-nation bounces back after tragedy in April with new brand, visa waiver and marketing BY S.S. YOGA the industry has bounced back quite fast because of initiatives taken to rebuild confidence among trade and consumers. "The biggest boost given is the visa fee waiver for 48 countries for six months that started from August 1, 2019, and several other marketing campaigns have been implemented together with Joint Tour Operator marketing programmes. These are showing remarkable results. The key message is that it is 'Business as Usual' for Sri Lanka Tourism," said Ms Maelge. SLTPB also hopes to promote adventure tourism, marine tourism, and popularise lesser- known attractions and their expertise in wellness and spas at the travel trade show. The company plans to grow its fleet from 40 to 1,000 cars by the end of next year, he added. "In addition to our varied car rental options, services such as Hertz Chauffer Drive will help us serve the growing business community and international travellers who prefer not to drive." Vietnam has been witnessing a boom in tourism, with up to 20 million tourists expected to visit by 2020, representing a one-third jump from 2018. Kandy Esala Perahera, a Buddhist festival tourists can witness in Kandy, central Sri Lanka.

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