Editor's Note
Agree to disagree
It's been a month of trade events and productive networking. September saw Asia's MICE and travel industry booming with activities. PATA Travel Mart was held successfully with meaningful exchanges, covering the now and the future needs of the industries.
Which had me thinking about how important the discussions and joint efforts are – these go beyond a simple signing of agreements. At a certain trade show which I attended, a signing ceremony for a joint collaboration saw a missing party, leading the media to press for answers.
I can understand how difficult it is to move and grow together, given the speed of progress of various cities and countries. Behind campaigns and propositions, leaders need to agree and disagree, on issues that matter to the industry, to continuously find solutions and move the trade and create an active and growing marketplace for businesses to grow.
And that is why a concerted effort is integral to the country and industry as a whole. This issue we look at the Philippines who are doing well on the tourism front to promote its key cities and islands, as well as China who has had a strong foothold in handling MICE events.
Melissa Tizi | Editor, Events Asia
melissa.tizi@contineomedia.com
Front page photo credit: Blue Water Resorts, Philippines
It's a bat, it's a monkey, it's a...
Bearing a stark resemblance to the 1984 movie character, the Gremlin, this adorable creature is the Tarsier, native to the Philippines, Borneo and a few Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.
With eyes as big as their entire brains, the endangered species are a tiny bunch – measuring between 11.8 to 14.9 centimetres and weigh in head and body length and weigh between 113 and 142 grams. There are also fossil records of these cute primates, dating back to the Eocene epoch – that's 54 to 36 million years ago!
Due to its adorable features, it has fallen prey to illegal trading as a pet trade, stuffed toy, hunting leading to its habitat destruction. Currently under the watch of the Philippines Tarsier Foundation, the Tarsier and its natural habitat is protected to ensure that it does not fall trap to extinction and to increase environmental awareness amongst the public.
For more information, visit: http://www.tarsierfoundation.org/
