Mainland Chinese Begin Visiting Taiwan
Posted by admin in General on 06 28th, 2011Mainland Chinese Begin Visiting Taiwan
Ralph Jennings
| Taipei
Taiwan has for the first time begun allowing mainland Chinese travelers to visit on their own, outside of tour groups. The new policy beginning Tuesday is expected to help the island’s economy and ease political tension between the two long-time rivals by bringing people closer together.
Many people in mainland China believe that Taiwan belongs to their government and they still long to see its fabled mountain attractions or soak up its traditional Chinese culture. But they have been barred from visiting, except on restrictive group tours, because self-ruled Taiwan feared some would come as spies or overstay their travel permits. Beijing has never renounced using force against Taiwan if it veers toward formal independence.
Similarities on display
Mainland Chinese colloquially call Taiwan a “treasure island” for its high mountains, tropical beaches and traditional Chinese culture weakened on the mainland by decades of Communist rule.
Thirty-year-old Lin Baijia came to Taiwan with three friends from the nearby Chinese city Xiamen to see the basics. She’s one of the first independent travelers and already plans to come back.
Lin says this time they will visit major attractions such as Sun Moon Lake and mountainous Alishan. Being from a nearby part of China, they are upbeat about Taiwan, especially the similar language and warmth of local people. She hopes to return to Taiwan as time allows, since it’s legal and transportation is easy, to explore it in more depth.
A travel agent gave the group of friends a bit of information on Taiwan, but they will roam about as they wish. That way they can experience Taiwanese people’s habits, their pace of life and whether they differ from people back home.
Taiwan opened to mainland group tours after political tensions began to ease in 2008 through trade talks brokered by Taiwan’s China-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou. That brought 2.34 million visitors and pumped $3.8 billion into the struggling service sector while causing few headaches for the Taiwanese government. To expand on the economic benefits, Taiwan opened this month to individual travelers from increasingly wealthy China.
Advancing China’s goal
Political observers say letting tourists roam as they please will go over well with officials in Beijing, which encourages contact between the two sides to emphasize that both belong to the same race and can get along despite fears or stereotypes. They say stronger people-to-people ties would advance China’s goal of eventual political unification more than six decades after Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists lost the Chinese civil war to Mao Zedong’s Communists and fled to Taiwan.
Chinese group tourists often complain that group tours allow too little free time, a measure to discourage illegal activity. Some get bused away so fast that they can’t see the regionally fabled Alishan sunrise or digest the vast Chinese art collection at Taipei’s National Palace Museum.
Taiwan’s tourism bureau says it expects the newly independent tourists will linger in high mountains, tiny villages and urban back alleys with hallmarks of old Chinese culture such as temple fairs. Tourist Lai Zhengyi looked forward to that freedom as he deplaned in Taipei.
The company executive from Xiamen says solo travelers can go anywhere they want without dealing with the legal restrictions of guided tours. Now he can travel in Taiwan like he would anywhere else in the world, which will help Taiwan’s overall economic development. He plans to visit Sun Moon Lake, a Taiwan landmark known to most mainland Chinese, and its exclusive Lalu Hotel. He says he also wants to check out what is available to purchase in local real estate.
Lai joined 282 others from China on Tuesday in starting their solo trips around the island. Rules allow for as many as 500 per day, with limits of 15 days per person. So far officials say the program is still a trial, but excitement about the program has led some to consider opening the island’s restrictive parliament sessions to individual tourists so they can see democracy in action.
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read comments (0)Viator Reveals Top 10 July Fourth Travel Destinations and Deals
Posted by admin in General on 06 25th, 2011San Francisco, Calif. (PRWEB) June 24, 2011
With July 4 falling on a Monday this year, there’s an opportunity not to be overlooked for a long weekend getaway in celebration of America’s birthday. Those who haven’t made travel plans yet can still find plenty of bargains, as Viator – the leading resource for nearly 9,000 tours and activities in 750 destinations in 150 countries – today unveiled the 10 best travel deals and destinations for celebrating independence at the last minute.
“Sometimes the best things do come to those who wait, and travelers who haven’t made plans yet for the July 4th holiday weekend will find many bargains on last-minute tours and activities at Viator.com,” said Ms. Barrie Seidenberg, president and CEO of Viator Inc. “The best deals include time-honored patriotic festivities such as firework displays and tours of historic monuments – and most can be booked up to the last minute using Viator’s new travel apps for the iPhone and iPad.”
According to Viator, the top 10 destinations with the best deals to celebrate the July 4th holiday weekend include:
1. New York – Watch one of the best fireworks displays in the country with Viator’s once-in-a-lifetime July 4th VIP Exclusive: Fireworks from the Empire State Building’s Observation Deck. A limited number of tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis to this two-hour, private evening event, guaranteed to sell out quickly.
2. Washington, D.C. – See 100 of the most popular monuments and points of interest in America’s capital after the sun goes down on the Washington D.C. Monuments by Moonlight Night Tour by Trolley, currently more than 50 percent off.
3. Philadelphia – There’s no better time to visit our nation’s first capital than during a weekend to celebrate America’s Independence. Travelers will save more than 45 percent on admission to six of the city’s premier attractions with a Viator Philadelphia CityPASS.
4. Las Vegas – Hit the highway out of Las Vegas and spend the day touring two major tourist attractions on the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam Day Trip, currently on sale with savings more than 50 percent.
5. Orlando – Get two days for the price of one at Kennedy Space Center, a short drive from Orlando and the launch site for every U.S. human space flight since December 1968.
6. San Diego – Tour one of the largest aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy fleet at the USS Midway Museum, San Diego’s newest visitor attraction. A visit to this historic naval aircraft carrier museum is an essential experience for patriots of all ages.
7. Boston – Travel north from Boston to historic Marblehead, the birthplace of the American Navy. Along the way, visit Salem, the Witch City and learn about the history of witchcraft and the reasons why the trials occurred.
8. Niagara Falls – Visit New York’s first state park on an overnight trip to Niagara Falls from New York City. Along the way, experience the state’s diverse ethnic heritage and the rolling hills of the Finger Lakes, one of the country’s premier wine producing areas.
9. Oahu – Take a sobering journey through U.S. history on a tour of the Arizona Memorial and the USS Missouri, the last battleship built by the U.S. Navy. Tickets include skip-the-line access to make the most of a day at Pearl Harbor, complete with a tour of downtown Honolulu and a drive through Punchbowl National Cemetery of the Pacific. An added bonus: receive one free child ticket for each adult ticket purchased.
10. Memphis – Walk in the footsteps of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll at Elvis Presley’s home, Graceland Mansion – the number one thing to do in Memphis, Tenn. Upgrade to the Elvis Entourage VIP Package and also receive entrance to a VIP Only Exhibit, Front of the Line Access to the Mansion, and more.
About Viator
Viator® is the world’s leading online resource for travel experiences, providing access to nearly 9,000 tours, attractions and activities in 750-plus destinations in more than 150 countries. Viator – the Latin word for traveler – offers a one-stop shop to plan, research and book trip activities via its Web and mobile platforms with resources such as 260,000 traveler reviews, ratings and photos, suggested itineraries and the Viator Travel Blog. Viator’s in-house travel experts hand-pick trusted local operators to ensure quality, value and service, all backed by a low-price guarantee. Viator sells its products through Viator.com, the Viator Tours and Activities App for iPhone, the Viator Ultimate Experience Guide for iPad, eight local language sites for the European and Japanese markets and more than 2,000 affiliated sites that include major hotel chains and airlines, online travel agencies, city-specific sites and more. Viator is a privately held company, with lead investment from The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. Founded in 1995, Viator is headquartered in San Francisco with regional offices in Sydney, London and Las Vegas. Visit the Viator Travel Blog for more inspiration or follow the company on Facebook and Twitter for the latest deals, promotions, contests and Viator news.
Media Contacts:
Kathie Gonzalez
720.213.6105
pr(at)viator(dot)com
###
For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2011/6/prweb8597936.htm
China UnionPay applies to set up office in Taiwan
Posted by admin in General on 06 22nd, 2011China UnionPay Co (????), China’s only credit card network, plans to set up an office in Taiwan in view of increased credit card transactions by Chinese tourists, a top company executive said yesterday.
China UnionPay chief executive officer and president Xu Luode (???) made the statement after inaugurating new services that allow cardholders to pay taxi fares and purchase high speed rail tickets in Taiwan.
“The business of UnionPay cards has progressed quickly and steadily in Taiwan, thanks to -support from both sides of the Taiwan Strait,” Xu said.
The new services came ahead of the government’s relaxation of rules governing independent travel by Chinese tourists, which starts on Tuesday. Currently, Chinese tourists can only travel to Taiwan in tour groups.
Xu said China UnionPay has filed applications with the government to establish an office and conveyed its wish to seek approval to issue credit and debit cards.
At present, UnionPay cardholders can only make payments at about 40,000 contracted stores and use 17,000 of the nation’s automated teller machines (ATM).
Transactions by China UnionPay cardholders in Taiwan totaled 8.2 billion yuan (NT$35.3 billion) between the rollout of the payment service in August 2009 and Monday, Xu said, adding that the figures for the first five months of this year were equal to that for all of last year because more Chinese visited Taiwan.
China UnionPay has entered into cooperative ventures with local taxi service providers and it aims to lift the ATM coverage ratio from the current 70 percent to 80 percent by the end of the month, and to 100 percent in the not too distant future, Xu said.
China UnionPay has 2.5 billion credit and debit cards in circulation in different countries worldwide.
Young guns rising on PGA Tour
Posted by admin in General on 06 19th, 2011CROMWELL — It happens all the time, in every professional sport. One generation passes the baton to the next, allowing it to finally have its time in the spotlight. Golf is no exception.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods — despite his injuries and slump — are the leaders of this generation, but their grips have become somewhat loose. The next wave of players, just as Mickelson and Woods once were, are standing in the wings, waiting to grab away that Sunday afternoon starring role as the PGA Tour comes to TPC River Highlands this week for the Travelers Championship.
The young guns include guys like Rickie Fowler and Anthony Kim, Brendan Steele and Jhonattan Vegas, Gary Woodland and Charl Schwartzel, Keegan Bradley and Dustin Johnson, Martin Laird and Rory McIlory.
And the list goes on and on and on.
Welcome to the world of the 20-somethings, golf’s new kids on the block. Players with big games and a maturity far beyond their years.
Already in 2011, six players in their 20′s, have won on the PGA Tour.
Schwartzel, just 26, won the Masters in April. Vegas, 26 won the Bob Hope Classic. Laird, 28, captured the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Woodland, 27, won the Transitions Championship. Steele, 28, won the Valero Texas Open, and Bradley, 24, took the Byron Nelson Championship.
And that’s just the tip of the Tour iceberg.
Louis Oosthuizen, 28, won the 2010 British Open, Bill Haas, 29, is the defending champion of the Viking Classic. Johnson, 26, won four Tour events last season. And although he hasn’t won (yet), Fowler, at the ripe old age of 22, already has two second-place finishes on his brief resume.
“I think the future is in good hands in the game of golf,” McIlroy said at the Masters. “Rickie (Fowler) has just turned 22, I’m 21, Jason (Day, who won the 2010 Byron Nelson Championship) is 23. You know, very early stages of our careers, and to be challenging in maj or championships already, it’s a huge step in the right direction, and hopefully we can only get better.”
And they are. McIlroy, for example, is making a formidable bid to win the U.S. Open this weekend in Bethesda, Md.
GREATER UNDERSTANDING
“Everyone’s just getting better and better from a younger age,” Adam Scott said at the Masters. “There’s so much more being put into the sport of golf from all aspects that you need: physical, mental. Everyone is understanding how to prepare better and everyone is really hungry and passionate for it. I think we are going to keep seeing crops of young guys popping up. Every generation learns from the one before.”
And boy, are these guys learning. In January, Vegas — in just his fifth professional start and second as a Tour member — won the Bob Hope in a playoff against two other 20-somethings, Haas and Woodland. Two months later, Woodland erased that playoff loss with a one-shot win at the Transitions. Not bad for someone who had just started playing the game eight years ago.
The next week, Laird won the Arnold Palmer — beating both Phil and Tiger in the process — and then it was Schwartzel’s turn, birdieing the last four holes at Augusta to win the Green Jacket.
Steele then won the Texas Open in April, and in late May at the Byron Nelson, Bradley, the nephew of LPGA Hall of Famer Pat Bradley, captured his first victory in a playoff, the fourth Tour rookie to win so far in 2011.
“I think it has a lot to do with the Nationwide Tour. That really trains us well,” Bradley said in a phone call last week. “We’re ready to come up on the PGA Tour and contend right away.
“If you notice, a lot of the guys that have won are Nationwide Tour graduates, and I think that plays a big part of it. The Nationwide Tour does everything the PGA Tour does but on a smaller scale. It’s the closest you can come to getting prepared for the PGA Tour. It teaches you how to travel, how to deal with a caddy, the pro-ams, all the corporate stuff. It prepares you as best it can. Nothing can prepare you for what the PGA Tour brings, but it’s the closest you can come.”
“Obviously there are a lot of great young players right now and we’re all playing really well,” Dustin Johnson said at the Byron Nelson in May.
In just his fourth full year on Tour, Johnson has four wins and 19 top-10 finishes, earning over $11 million. Right behind him are a bunch of other rising stars, led by the 22-year-old McIlory, who held a four-shot lead after three rounds of the Masters before a disastrous 80 on the final day cost him a Green Jacket. Still, last season, he won at Quail Hollow and finished T3 at both the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship, and no one was close to his first two sparkling rounds at the 2011 U.S. Open.
Fowler, also 22, has two top 10s and seven top-25 finishes already in 2011.
A YOUNGER BUZZ
Even PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said in a December 2010 teleconference, when asked about looking ahead to 2011, that the 20-somethings were looking strong.
“I’ve never in my tenure seen so much buzz and interest about rookies and young players creating exciting performances,” Finchem said.
Bradley, Vegas and 2007 Travelers Champion Hunter Mahan — who seems like a seasoned veteran at age 29 — are in the 2011 Travelers field, along with Kim, Laird and Steele.
“You kind of make yourself into a household name and you got to start somewhere.” Steele said at the Texas Open in April.
For the moment, the regular household names aren’t really even being talked about like these cardiac kids are. Woods, now 35, isn’t even playing as he battles a troubling left knee injury and an ongoing Achilles problem. He hasn’t won since 2009. Sergio Garcia, 31, hasn’t won since 2008 and has just one win since 2005. Davis Love III, 47, hasn’t won since 2008, and John Daly, 45, hasn’t won since 2004. Ernie Els, 41, has just three wins since 2005, and Vijay Singh, 48, also hasn’t won since 2009.
Only Mickelson, who just turned 41, has a solid 2011 resume, winning the Shell Houston Open in April.
“I think you go through cycles. I think you go through cycles of players that are really good players,” Jack Nicklaus said at the Memorial. “The McIlroys and the Fowlers and the (Jason) Days, these young kids, all of a sudden, they say, `Hey, I can do that.’ “
Royal Travel: Kate Middleton and Prince William to Tour US & Canada
Posted by admin in General on 06 16th, 2011On their first day in the States, the twosome will meet technology entrepreneurs at the Beverly Hilton hotel and spend some time with prominent California politicians.
Saturday, July 9 kicks off with a Santa Barbara based charity polo match where the Prince plays and Kate hands out prizes.
William is the president of BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) and he will attend a black tie gala dinner on Saturday night at L.A.’s Belasco Theatre in support of the organization.
Sunday, day three of their U.S. tour, is more serious with charity work coming to the fore. It begins at Tusk USA, an organization that raises money for African wildlife. Then, it’s over to Inner-City Arts, a local program focusing on using art to help disadvantaged and homeless children. Their final event is for military veterans and families at Sony Pictures Studios.
While the couple is sure to be photographed together across the continent, the Royals will not be coming alone. They’ll travel with an entourage of seven schedulers and assistants, and the palace has taken measures to ensure the Duchess will look her best while dashing across the continent and hob-nobbing with Hollywood royalty!
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