Latest news with #ATTA
The Star
7 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Chinese tour operators enter 'hibernation mode' as Malaysian tourists to Thailand overtake China for first time in 13 years
BANGKOK: Thailand's tourism industry is grappling with a significant downturn in Chinese visitors, with many tour operators entering what industry leaders describe as "hibernation mode" as they await a market recovery expected by 2026. The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has warned that Chinese tourist arrivals this year will reach only five million people, with the majority coming for business rather than leisure purposes. True tourist groups are estimated to represent just 20 per cent of arrivals, or approximately one million visitors. The decline reached a symbolic milestone on June 6 when Malaysian tourists surpassed Chinese visitors to become Thailand's top source market for the first time in 13 years, since 2012. Statistics from Jan 1 to 8 June show Chinese tourist arrivals totalling 2,029,481 people, whilst Malaysian visitors reached 2,041,002. The shift follows ongoing safety perception issues that have plagued Thailand's image amongst Chinese travellers, particularly since the disappearance of Chinese actress Xing Xing near the Thai-Myanmar border in early January. Sisdivachr Cheewarattanapor, Honorary President and Senior Advisory Chairman of ATTA, which represents 1,554 members including tour operators and tourism businesses, described the severe impact on the industry. "Since the Xing Xing incident, Chinese tourist confidence has been affected for over five months," he told Krungthep Turakij. "Some tour companies specialising in the Chinese market are in hibernation mode because there's no work, no tours coming in." He explained that stronger companies are struggling to survive whilst hoping for recovery in the remaining months of this year and next year. Weaker operators that relied exclusively on the Chinese market have been forced to suspend operations temporarily. "Some companies have closed entirely," Sisdivachr noted. "They had reopened after Covid hoping the Chinese market would recover to pre-pandemic levels. Last year showed good travel momentum, but now with no customers, they've closed again to wait and see if the market recovers." The tourism downturn is also affecting major property developers' investment strategies. Wallapa Traisorat, CEO and Managing Director of Asset World Corp Public Company Limited (AWC), revealed that while the company's five-year investment plan worth 100 billion baht remains on track, adjustments may be necessary to align with global economic conditions. "The economy may recover and improve in the next 2-3 years," Wallapa explained. "We're waiting for the right timing to continue investments and focusing on projects where we see market opportunities first." AWC is concentrating its investments on destination model projects to strengthen the potential of both cities and the country by continuously attracting global partners. Key projects include Wang Nakhon Kasem in Yaowarat, Aquatique Pattaya, Lanna Thique Chiang Mai, and The Ritz-Carlton Bangkok, The Riverside hotel project. The company has notably adjusted the timeline for its ambitious Asiatique The Riverfront project, which originally planned to build Thailand's tallest 100-story building. - The Nation/ANN
Skift
10-06-2025
- Business
- Skift
Travel Brands Stick With Carbon Capture Firm Despite Layoffs and Setbacks
Carbon capture may be a promising climate solution, but the gap between promise and delivery is growing harder to ignore. Travel companies working with Swiss carbon dioxide removal firm Climeworks told Skift they are sticking with the company, even as it struggles to scale up operations and makes deep job cuts. Climeworks, which built the world's first commercial plant that removes carbon dioxide directly from the air and stores it underground, recently announced it would lay off more than 20% of its workforce. The company cited 'macroeconomic uncertainty and shifting policy priorities.' Climeworks has deals in place with several well-known travel companies, including Lufthansa, SWISS Air, British Airways, and the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA). Swiss Air, part of the Lufthansa Group, was Climeworks' first aviation customer in 2024. The airline has called direct air capture a vital long-term tool for reducing aviation emissions. 'Direct air capture is not only a crucial complementary measure for aviation to achieve its CO₂ targets, but also a highly relevant technology for the future production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF),' Swiss Air has previously said. Lufthansa signed a multi-year agreement with Climeworks and confirmed to Skift that it has no plans to change course. 'Our partnership with Climeworks is in place since 2024,' a Lufthansa spokesperson said. 'Compensation and innovative processes for filtering CO₂ from the air and storing it form a complementary instrument in the Lufthansa Group's sustainability strategy.' Swiss Air told Skift its agreement runs through 2030 and emphasized that payments are only made once carbon capture credits are delivered. A spokesperson said the company wants to support the scaling of the technology. 'Climeworks is currently the only company in the world that operates Direct Air Capture (DAC) commercially,' it added. British Airways announced a contract with Climeworks in the past for a small amount of carbon removal credits, though it did not respond to Skift's recent request for comment. Previously, the airline said carbon removal was essential to its net-zero plans. 'There is no pathway to net zero for aviation without carbon removals,' Carrie Harris, Director of Sustainability at British Airways, said in September last year. The Adventure Travel Trade Association was one of Climeworks' earlier travel-sector partners. It told Skift it is continuing to work with the company. It supports Climeworks through its 'Tomorrow's Air' program, which offers travelers the option to directly remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. 'A Challenging Time' Climeworks says its carbon capture technology works by sucking co2 out of the air and storing it underground in rocks as stable carbonate minerals. source: climeworks Climeworks, which has raised over $800 million, has captured far less carbon than expected. According to the firm has delivered just 1,100 tonnes of carbon removal so far. That's well below the 380,000 tonnes it has signed deals for. Climeworks did not respond to Skift's request for comment. 'We've always known this journey would be demanding,' CEOs Christoph Gebald and Jan Wurzbacher said in a statement announcing the layoffs. 'Today, we find ourselves navigating a challenging time.' Still, the company is pressing ahead with its Mammoth plant in Iceland, which has a nameplate capacity of 36,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. But in its first 10 months, it only captured 750 tonnes. Once supply chain emissions were factored in, net removals came to just 105 tonnes, the equivalent of the yearly emissions of about eight Americans. Climeworks' older Orca facility in Iceland was designed for 3,000 tonnes per year, but hasn't hit 1,000 tonnes in any single year since opening in 2021. Skift's in-depth reporting on climate issues is made possible through the financial support of Intrepid Travel. This backing allows Skift to bring you high-quality journalism on one of the most important topics facing our planet today. Intrepid is not involved in any decisions made by Skift's editorial team.
Scottish Sun
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I've spent £1000s on cosmetic surgery but there's a procedure I'll never have & won't touch fat jabs says Olivia Attwood
Olivia also opens up about her future on Loose Women after the savage cuts to the ITV daytime favourite ATTA GIRL I've spent £1000s on cosmetic surgery but there's a procedure I'll never have & won't touch fat jabs says Olivia Attwood Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THESE days, it's more shocking to discover a celebrity ISN'T on fat jabs than one who is. But despite unashamedly admitting to her love of a cosmetic trend, Olivia Attwood vows she'll never jump on the Ozempic bandwagon. 7 Olivia Attwood is a self-confessed cosmetic surgery fan - but there's one operation she'll never have Credit: Sofi Adams 7 Olivia also opened up about her sex life with husband Bradley Dack, saying it's an 'as and when' thing Credit: Getty The reason? She wants a BIGGER bum, not a shrinking one. 'I'm always here for the latest fad, but the jabs are actually the one thing that has never tempted me,' reveals Olivia. 'My whole goal is to actually grow an arse in the gym, so I feel like it would be counterproductive. 'I'm constantly chugging protein shakes and doing squats. I'm trying to get more curves, not have less.' Fat jabs are just one of the cosmetic surgery trends that the Love Island legend delves into in the new series of her ITV2 show, Olivia Attwood's The Price of Perfection. And after investigating the surge in popularity of Ozempic and Mounjaro – or GLP-1 receptor agonists, as they are known in the medical community – Olivia also has serious concerns about their safety. 'I think we are still in our infancy of knowing how these drugs behave,' says the 34 year old. 'For some people, they can be very powerful and life-changing, but people are having massive health issues when they are being dished out by non-medics and they are being abused back to back over several years.' Given her penchant for a bigger butt, Olivia admits she has considered a Brazilian butt lift [BBL] – a procedure which sees a surgeon suck fat from the belly, hips, lower back and thighs, then transfer it into the bum to create bigger hips and a smaller waist. BBLs are the fastest growing cosmetic procedure in the UK, with its popularity soaring by 20 per cent year on year. Olivia Attwood shares truth about 'romantic' super yacht date with Chris Hughes & 'gross' act she does with Bradley Dack Frighteningly, however, it has also earned the terrifying reputation of being the deadliest procedure, with some figures estimating one in 3,000 BBLs can result in death. Naturally, Olivia tackles the rising demand for a Kardashian-style booty in her new series, travelling to Turkey to be there in the operating theatre to watch one girl go under the knife in pursuit of her dream derriere. 'A BBL is definitely one of those things I have looked into having,' Olivia admits. 'But for me, the risk doesn't outweigh the result. 'It's really hard to find someone who has had it done once and is super happy. 'It's the procedure that requires the most revision surgeries and most people go back, like, three times. 'Who has the time to lie on your front for eight weeks, three times a year while you are healing? 'For that reason, it doesn't appeal to me.' Olivia has confessed to undergoing a boob job followed by a reduction, chin liposuction and contouring, veneers, lip fillers and Botox. I could easily hit the £100,000 mark if I get my teeth done again Olivia Attwood But while her open nature is one of the reasons she has so many devotees – Olivia has more than 2.5 million followers on Instagram, while her So Wrong It's Right podcast has had more than 7.4 million YouTube views – she confesses she hasn't told her fans everything she's had done. 'I have done things that I haven't explicitly talked about,' she reveals. 'But of course, I've had some help and I'm not ageing backwards.' In fact, Olivia estimates that, at some point, she'll have splashed out six figures on transforming her appearance. 'I could easily hit the £100,000 mark if I get my teeth done again, or when I have to get my boobs redone,' she admits. 'The guidelines are that you have to get your boobs redone every 10 years, so I will have to get them changed at some point. 7 Given her penchant for a bigger bum, Olivia admits she has considered a Brazilian butt lift - but admits the risk doesn't outweigh the result Credit: Getty 7 Olivia says she will always be grateful to the show that launched her career back in 2017 Credit: Rex 'But I want to wait until I have kids before I outlay that money again.' There's another surgery she'd happily consider once she's had babies – a designer vagina. 'If I needed to do that, I would – 100 per cent,' Olivia says. 'We look at mummy makeovers in the new series and the thing I realised is, you never know how your body is going to react to pregnancy. 'Some women see very little changes to their body, while others suffer incontinence and all sorts of health issues. 'So if I felt like something made me unhappy or I had issues, then yeah, of course.' While she hasn't planned when she and her footballer husband of two years, Bradley Dack, 31, will start a family, she admits they have fun practising in the bedroom – when they are actually under the same roof, that is. 'There are times when we struggle for time together, because he was in Sunderland for a whole year and often I'm away filming. So we can't do designated sex nights,' she laughs. 'For us, sex is more of an 'as and when' thing. 'But one of the positive things about spending time apart is that, when you are back together, it feels a lot more exciting. 'I think missing someone is a nice feeling and I still get butterflies when I see him at the airport. 'One way we really keep the spark alive is by texting. 'I always tell people: 'Remember to flirt with your partner.' 'So when I'm texting him, I flirt with him, rather than just asking him if he has walked the dog.' Love Island gave me my big break and changed my life, so I'll always feel very nostalgic about it. Recently, Olivia came under fire after she commented on her Love Island ex, Chris Hughes, and his new girlfriend, Celebrity Big Brother co-star JoJo Siwa. After fans on TikTok asked for her take on the unlikely romance, Liv suggested Chris might have ulterior motives by commenting that JoJo is 'really famous'. Quizzed about her reaction – which led to some of Chris and JoJo's fans slamming her – Liv sighs. 'Basically, when they went official, I got tagged in like 200 TikToks saying they were dying to know what I thought,' she explains. 'The people that follow me know how I say tongue-in-cheek things. 'I just gave them one little line in the spur of the moment. 'Sometimes these things land well and sometimes they don't. 'But the right side of the internet liked it.' She smiles, cheekily, clearly wondering if she will land herself in trouble again. Olivia Attwood's Career History From Monster grid girl and Love Island star to daytime telly panellist and respected documentary maker, Olivia Attwood has made a huge career pivot in recent years... Olivia first started as a Monster grid girl at motorsport events in 2012 when she was 19-years-old, and did it right up until she went into Love Island in 2017. After placing third in the reality show with then-boyfriend Chris Hughes, she starred in their own spin-off series, Chris & Olivia: Crackin' On, in 2018. Later that year, she appeared on Celebs Go Dating and then joined the cast of The Only Way Is Essex in 2019, where she had a number of fiery on-screen rows. In 2020, the reality TV veteran began starring in her own reality series on ITVBe titled Olivia Meets Her Match, which followed her wedding preparations with footballer Bradley Dack. In 2021, the tide started to turn. Olivia made appearances on household shows Lorraine, Tipping Point: Lucky Stars and Loose Women. Then, in 2022, ITV commissioned her for her first ever documentary series. She presented Olivia Attwood: Getting Filthy Rich, which explored women selling sexual content online. In June 2023, ITV commissioned Olivia Marries Her Match and made her a regular guest panellist on Loose Women. Her most recent docu-series, Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection, aired in 2024 where she sensitively explored the cosmetic industry. 'The truth is, [their relationship] is not something I think about,' she says. 'I've got a lot going on.' That's quite the understatement. 7 Olivia came under fire after she commented on Love Island ex Chris Hughes and his new girlfriend JoJo Siwa Credit: instagram/@accesshollywood 7 Olivia says she'd be 'open' to hosting Love Island if Maya Jama ever threw in the towel Credit: Rex 7 Olivia Attwood's The Price of Perfection returns on Thursday 12th June As well as the new series of The Price of Perfection, she recently wrapped filming the next run of Olivia Attwood's Bad Boyfriends and is about to start shooting a fourth round of her other hit show, Getting Filthy Rich. On top of that, she manages to squeeze in her podcast, a radio show with pal Pete Wicks and being a Loose Women panellist. And despite the recent cuts to the ITV daytime favourite, Olivia confirms that her place on the panel is safe. 'I'm definitely staying on Loose,' she says. 'I literally adore that show and the women on it. 'But there are a lot of people who will be impacted [by the changes] behind the camera.' With a new series of Love Island kicking off this week, Olivia says she will always be grateful to the show that launched her career back in 2017. 'Love Island gave me my big break and changed my life, so I'll always feel very nostalgic about it,' she insists. And with rumours swirling that Maya Jama might trade in her keys to the villa after this upcoming series, might Olivia fancy slipping into her stilettos and hosting the nation's favourite dating show? 'I think Maya's fantastic for the show and I don't think she's going anywhere,' she says. 'But I'll be completely honest – I'd definitely be open to it if Maya didn't want to do it anymore. So, if the powers that be asked me to have that conversation, of course, I would be ALL ears.'
Qatar Tribune
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Sheikh Joaan conducts field visit to World Table Tennis Championships venue
DOHA: President of Qatar Olympic Committee HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani has conducted a field visit to Lusail Arena, one of the venues for the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals Doha 2025, which Qatar is hosting for the second time following the successful 2004 edition. The world-class championship will feature 640 top-ranked male and female players competing in 443 thrilling matches from May 17 to 25 at Lusail Arena and Qatar University. The Qatar Table Tennis Association (ATTA) has provided full support for the athletes to ensure they represent Qatar with pride in this global event.
Scottish Sun
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Olivia Attwood reveals why she's GLAD about husband's womanising past despite always meeting someone he's slept with
Plus, scroll down to find out more on the exact moment Olivia found out Brad was a cheat ATTA GIRL Olivia Attwood reveals why she's GLAD about husband's womanising past despite always meeting someone he's slept with Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) OLIVIA Attwood has candidly opened up on her husband's womanising past. The reality TV star, who recently celebrated her 34th birthday with a star-studded bash at a posh London restaurant, claimed she 'couldn't roll a football' without hitting someone her man, Bradley Dack, 31, has slept with. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Olivia Attwood has claimed to "take comfort" in Bradley Dack's womanising past Credit: Youtube/Whats My Age Again Podcast 6 The reality TV star revealed all to Katherine Ryan on a recent podcast episode Credit: Youtube/Whats My Age Again Podcast 6 She confessed she "couldn't roll a football in South London without hitting someone he's slept with" Credit: Splash 6 But Olivia explained why she is glad he has bedded so many women Credit: Splash The podcast host, who tied the knot with Bradley in a £30,000 wedding dress in June 2023, also claimed that being married to a footballer is not for the weak. On a recent podcast episode of Katherine Ryan's What's My Age Again?, Olivia Attwood spilled the tea on what it's really like to have an athlete as a husband. The Loose Women presenter even compared being married to a footballer as an 'extreme sport'. The star explained: 'I wouldn't recommend anyone, genuinely, to date an athlete of any description. 'I think there's a lot that comes with that that would age you quite severely.' Despite this, she voiced that her Gillingham midfielder, who she began dating in 2017 before she starred on Love Island, is 'very relaxed' and 'very low maintenance'. She beamed: 'He's brought a lot of calmness to my life. 'He has mellowed me out, in a good way.' Not only this, but the blonde beauty also recognised: 'He doesn't want attention, which is great, because I need it.' But while Brad may have calmed Olivia, who has been diagnosed with ADHD, down, she didn't hold back on discussing his 'womaniser' past. 'I'd call the police' Olivia Attwood reveals her biggest kissing ick and the one habit she hates from men when it comes to intimacy The Labubu lover who previously opened up on sharing towels and a toothbrush with Brad, confessed: 'I couldn't roll a football in South London without hitting someone he's slept with.' But despite this, Olivia shared her appreciation of Brad's sexual history, as she admitted: 'I take comfort in that because I feel like he exhausted himself. I wouldn't recommend anyone, genuinely, to date an athlete of any description Olivia Attwood 'He's good. We're still quite young but he's lived.' Additionally, Olivia then acknowledged: 'I fear for women who are like 'I'm my husband's second sexual partner'. 'At some point he's gonna crack.' Who is Olivia Attwood? Olivia shot to fame as a contestant on the reality ITV2 dating show, Love Island. Like most contestants who have featured on the show, she's no stranger to modelling. Before Love Island she competed in pageants, including a "Tropic Beauty" contest, representing London, and was also once a Motorsport Grid Girl for energy drinks brand, Monster. Olivia is originally from Surrey and has since starred in multiple TV shows after finding fame. She fronted her own reality show Olivia Meets Her Match, which documented her engagement and marriage to her footballer husband, Bradley Dack. She also competed in ITV's The Games in 2022, and presented the show Getting Filthy Rich. Her most recent gig is presenting ITV's Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection. No stranger to surgery and cosmetic treatments herself, Olivia delves into the world of facial cosmetic procedures to find out who makes big bucks from them. But this isn't the first time the reality star, who first met Bradley at a nightclub in 2015, has been candid on her and Bradley's turbulent relationship. Speaking on the Newlyweds podcast with Sophie and Jamie Laing, Olivia revealed how she really found out her hubby was a cheat. Two days after being offered a spot on Love Island, Olivia was in Germany while Bradley was on a golfing holiday when she received an anonymous phone call. I actually think if I had stayed, we wouldn't be together now Olivia Attwood Olivia recalled: "I never used to answer private numbers, but sometimes you get this feeling that the universe is like 'pick it up'. "I picked it up and it was a girl and she's like 'hello' and I was like 'hello who is this' and she was like 'well I'm Brad's girlfriend' and I was like 'that's so weird because I'm Brad's girlfriend.'" Olivia explained that she tried to call Bradley, who was on holiday with the boys, but couldn't get through as his phone had died. Olivia Attwood's Career History From Monster grid girl and Love Island star to daytime telly panellist and respected documentary maker, Olivia Attwood has made a huge career pivot in recent years... Olivia first started as a Monster grid girl at motorsport events in 2012 when she was 19-years-old, and did it right up until she went into Love Island in 2017. After placing third in the reality show with then-boyfriend Chris Hughes, she starred in their own spin-off series, Chris & Olivia: Crackin' On, in 2018. Later that year, she appeared on Celebs Go Dating and then joined the cast of The Only Way Is Essex in 2019, where she had a number of fiery on-screen rows. In 2020, the reality TV veteran began starring in her own reality series on ITVBe titled Olivia Meets Her Match, which followed her wedding preparations with footballer Bradley Dack. In 2021, the tide started to turn. Olivia made appearances on household shows Lorraine, Tipping Point: Lucky Stars and Loose Women. Then, in 2022, ITV commissioned her for her first ever documentary series. She presented Olivia Attwood: Getting Filthy Rich, which explored women selling sexual content online. In June 2023, ITV commissioned Olivia Marries Her Match and made her a regular guest panellist on Loose Women. Her most recent docu-series, Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection, aired in January this year where she sensitively explored the cosmetic industry. However, she stressed it was the best thing that could have happened, as the next day, she decided to call back the producers of Love Island and said she could be on the show. She reflected: "As much as I liked him I was like 'this is done' because there is no way I can trust him again or come back from this." "I didn't actually want to go and I didn't want to end it but my intelligent brain was like you have to because what are you staying for? "I actually think if I had stayed, we wouldn't be together now." Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club 6 But Olivia believes Bradley has "lived" and got his womanising ways out of his system Credit: Instagram
