Sep 126 min read

LATest e-bulletin September '24

In this issue: ① Quote of the month ② Tourism Boom is Shifting to Asia ③ Notriphobia ④ Sulawesi, Oldest Cave Graffiti ⑤ So Many Good Reasons to Work with LAT ⑥ Bali, Nuanu City ⑦ Updated edition of LAT Catalogue and Tariff ⑧ Malaysia, Pro Palestinian Stance ⑨ Malaysia Airlines Reduced Operation

"Conformity may give you a quiet life; it may even bring you to a University Chair. But all change in history, all advance, comes from the nonconformists"

A. J. P. Taylor

Tourism Boom is Shifting to Asia

This year, the number of trips abroad is expected to surpass 2019 levels. Spending by travelers is also projected to exceed what was spent in 2019, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). Cruising has resumed, and the return of mass tourism has sparked protests in Western hotspots such as Barcelona and Majorca. However, hoteliers, tour operators, DMCs and travel agents note that the real action is further east.

Travel to Asia had been slower to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the West. Strict quarantine measures in countries from China to Malaysia remained in place longer than in Europe or America, keeping tourist numbers low. Now, however, business on the continent is booming. According to the WTTC, the number of travelers arriving in Asian countries is set to surge by a third this year—more than in any other region. We at Lat are experiencing such expansion.

While business elsewhere stabilizes, industry leaders are touting rapid growth in Asia. Westerners are returning to Asia in large numbers.

The range of destinations and activities is expanding. Over 500,000 hotel rooms are currently under construction across Asia, a 4% increase from last year. Access to Asia is also improving, with both home-grown and Western airlines adding more flights to and from the European continent. For instance, British Airways is relaunching flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

However, the biggest boost to Asian tourism comes from the region's own travelers. Chinese consumers are beginning to travel abroad again, with international trips forecasted to double this year compared to 2023. Much of this travel will occur within the region, with three-quarters of flights departing China last month heading to East and Southeast Asia.

India's travelers are also heading overseas in growing numbers, thanks to rising disposable incomes. They spent nearly $20 billion on foreign trips in the year ending in March, more than triple the amount spent five years ago. Many prefer to travel closer to home due to looser visa restrictions in the region. As incomes rise, Indian tourists will become even bigger spenders. The WTTC predicts that by the end of the decade, only Americans and Chinese will spend more on overseas travel than Indians. Asia's travel boom is just beginning.

All of the above may be related to the newly coined concept of "Notriphobia," which is essentially the fear of not having any trips booked. If you haven’t heard of this term, let us introduce you to it. Notriphobia is the feeling you get when you return home from a vacation and realize you don’t have another one to look forward to. It's a bad feeling you don’t want your clients to experience. So, please arrange their next trip now, and make sure the map is oriented eastward!

Sulawesi, Oldest Cave Graffiti

The oldest example of figurative cave art has been discovered on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi by Australian and Indonesian scientists.

The painting, depicting a wild pig and three human-like figures, is at least 51,200 years old—more than 5,000 years older than the previously known oldest cave art. This discovery pushes back the time when modern humans first demonstrated the capacity for creative thought.

The finding would change our understanding of human evolution. The painting tells a complex story. It is the oldest evidence we have of storytelling. It shows that humans at that time had the capacity to think in abstract terms.

The painting depicts a pig standing still with its mouth partly open, along with at least three human-like figures. The largest figure has both arms extended and appears to be holding a rod. The second figure is positioned immediately in front of the pig, with its head next to the pig's snout; it also seems to be holding a stick, one end of which may be in contact with the pig’s throat. The third human-like figure appears to be upside-down, with its legs splayed upward and one hand seemingly touching the pig’s head.

That narrative storytelling was an important aspect of early human culture in Indonesia from a very early point in time.

Humans have probably been telling stories for much longer than 51,200 years, but since words do not fossilize, we can only rely on indirect evidence like depictions of scenes in art—and the Sulawesi art is now by far the oldest such evidence known to archaeology.

The paintings were found in the caves of Karampuang Hill in the Indonesian Island of South Sulawesi

So Many Good Reasons to Work with LAT

Established in 1991

Independently owned and operated

Purely B2B with travel industry partners

Online booking engine with immediate

confirmation of hotels, tours and transfers

Skilful Contents Provider and Technology user

Knowledgeable and efficient reservations personnel

Long and proud association with the MICE industry in all Lotus destinations

Fully committed to Sustainability and CSR

Climate Contribution for all packages and services on offer Extensive selection of scheduled group departures and innovative product lines

Direct access to a vast pool of local professional contributors

Owns small boutique island hotels strategically located

LAT Indochina subsidiary operating in Thailand and Vietnam

Multilingual guides in all destinations

Operations offices throughout its destinations

Centralised bookings and payments for multi destination tours 24/7 assistance with interactive voice response available in four languages

LAT Application with UpToDate itineraries and info for guests. Downloadable from Apple and Play Stores

TATTLER

Bali, Nuanu City

A spa, an interactive park, an alcohol-free zone, and a butterfly nursery: these luxury experiences in Nuanu combine wellness and creativity while supporting Bali’s local communities.

Some cities live up to their names. Japan’s Kyoto means “capital city” or “imperial capital.” Morocco’s Casablanca was named after the Mausoleum of Allal al-Qairawani, which resembled a white building when seen from the sea.

In Bali, Indonesia, Nuanu was named after a Balinese expression meaning “in process.” Fittingly, Nuanu is a city in a state of continuous development.

Located about an hour's drive from Bali’s Denpasar International Airport, Nuanu spans 44 hectares and is dedicated to embracing creativity. Local and global artists have been invited to design unique spaces where education, arts, and wellness intersect harmoniously. This is why Nuanu hosts a music festival with wellness talks and releases of endangered butterflies, offers luxury tree houses designed for meditation and creative thinking, and much more.

In short, Nuanu is an ambitious creative playground that has only just begun to reveal its surprises.

Today, a dozen communal spaces, from restaurants to schools, have opened, with more set to launch soon—and there is still much more to come.

HIGHLIGHTS

Updated edition of LAT Catalogue and Tariff

Please be informed that an amended edition of our 2025-26 Catalogue and Tariff is now available for download at Lotus Asia Tours. This latest edition includes several important updates, such as a review of some prices due to the weakening of the US Dollar, the rearrangement of certain scheduled group departures, and an expanded selection of available hotels.

Malaysia, Pro Palestinian Stance

Malaysia steps up pro-Palestinian stance, visibly strengthening its support for Palestinians over Israel in recent weeks in a move that may strain relations with the U.S. The cabinet "has made a unanimous decision to stop all forms of direct trade" with Israel, a Malaysian Government spokesperson said in a speech over the weekend.

Malaysia Airlines Reduced Operation

Following numerous flight disruptions during the week of August 19th, involving Malaysia Airlines and its subsidiary, the company has announced it will take immediate steps to address the root causes of these issues. The disruptions have been attributed to operational difficulties, including supply chain constraints, manpower challenges, and other external factors. As a result, Malaysia Airlines will be reducing its operations until the end of the year. No further details have been provided.

Our whole product for free and independent travellers, groups and MICE are based on a Climate Contribution programme. This means that part of the greenhouse gas emissions that will be generated are offset by projects in collaboration with Climate Partner, one of the leading climate protection solution providers for companies.

The arising emissions are being compensated by supporting a third-party certified geothermal energy project in Darajat, Java (Indonesia). The project helps to meet the growing demand for electricity in Indonesia. By increasing the share of renewable energy, the dependence on fossil fuel-based electricity decreases, and about 705,390 tonnes of CO2 emissions are saved per year.

For over thirty years, Lotus Asia Tours Group has provided services and assistance to travellers the world over, specialising in the design and implementation of corporate events, activities, incentive tours and motivational travel, targeted at FIT, GIT and MICE markets, in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indochina. The group also operates four boutique island hotels in Indonesia, in Lombok, Bali, Sulawesi and Papua.

To learn more about our brand please head to our website, or contact us directly; we look forward to hearing how we could help make your next trip, tour or event memorable and successful.

Corporate Office D-5-4 Megan Avenue 1, 189 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia T: +60 (0)3 21617075 · F: +60 (0)3 21617084 · E: latgroup@lotusasiatours.com

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