Latest news with #AndrewSmith
Korea Herald
17 hours ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Long Weekend Stays Driving Asian Travelers to Regional Destinations According to Agoda
Hoteliers advised to take advantage of additional public holidays to maximize occupancy and revenue SINGAPORE, June 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Asia's diverse and regular stream of public holidays is proving to be a boost to the Asia Pacific (APAC) travel industry as Asian tourists look to maximize their leisure time. Digital travel platform Agoda reveals that Asian travelers looking to travel long weekends are largely opting to stay in the APAC region, highlighting an opportunity for hoteliers to capture rising demand for more frequent, short stays. Agoda saw an 80% month-on-month increase in accommodation searches from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore ahead of the Eid long weekend. Favored destinations were Japan, Thailand, China, South Korea and Taiwan. There was a similar trend during the Songkran long weekend in Thailand - with Hong Kong, Osaka, Shanghai and Seoul proving to be top choices. The recent long weekend in Vietnam, which encompassed Liberation Day and Labor Day, saw Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul being the most searched destinations. "The opportunity for hotels and airlines to secure bookings and incentivize travelers to extend their trips and add ancillary items to boost revenue over long weekends has never been greater," said Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President of Supply, Agoda. "Hotels should ensure they are using the right data to target the hottest consumers from across the Asia Pacific region and ensure that their service offerings are tailored to their regional tastes. For example, catering for visitors with large families by ensuring they are able to access larger and joined rooms for family travel." There are still multiple long weekends to come in the region in 2025 including: By proactively offering packages that cater to long weekend stays and micro-vacations, hotels can capitalize on these trends. Some strategies include: Agoda offers a wide range of options to suit these preferences. With over 5 million holiday properties, more than 130,000 flight routes, and over 300,000 activities, Agoda provides endless possibilities for creating unforgettable travel experiences.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Long Weekend Stays Driving Asian Travelers to Regional Destinations According to Agoda
Hoteliers advised to take advantage of additional public holidays to maximize occupancy and revenue SINGAPORE, June 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Asia's diverse and regular stream of public holidays is proving to be a boost to the Asia Pacific (APAC) travel industry as Asian tourists look to maximize their leisure time. Digital travel platform Agoda reveals that Asian travelers looking to travel long weekends are largely opting to stay in the APAC region, highlighting an opportunity for hoteliers to capture rising demand for more frequent, short stays. Agoda saw an 80% month-on-month increase in accommodation searches from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore ahead of the Eid long weekend. Favored destinations were Japan, Thailand, China, South Korea and Taiwan. There was a similar trend during the Songkran long weekend in Thailand - with Hong Kong, Osaka, Shanghai and Seoul proving to be top choices. The recent long weekend in Vietnam, which encompassed Liberation Day and Labor Day, saw Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul being the most searched destinations. "The opportunity for hotels and airlines to secure bookings and incentivize travelers to extend their trips and add ancillary items to boost revenue over long weekends has never been greater," said Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President of Supply, Agoda. "Hotels should ensure they are using the right data to target the hottest consumers from across the Asia Pacific region and ensure that their service offerings are tailored to their regional tastes. For example, catering for visitors with large families by ensuring they are able to access larger and joined rooms for family travel." There are still multiple long weekends to come in the region in 2025 including: MALAYSIA PHILIPPINES SINGAPORE TAIWAN THAILAND • Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday (Jun 2) • Awal Muharram (Maal Hijrah) (Jun 27) • Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (Sept 5) • Deepavali (Oct 20) • National Heroes Day (Aug 25) • Deepavali (Oct 20) • Mid-Autumn Festival (Oct 6) • Bridge Holiday to Queen Suthida's Birthday (Jun 2) • Queen Suthida's Birthday (Jun 3) • Khao Phansa Day (Jul 11) • King Vajiralongkorn's Birthday (Jul 28) • Bridge Holiday to Queen Mother's Birthday (Aug 11) • Queen Mother's Birthday (Aug 12) • Passing of His Majesty the Late King (Oct 13) • His Majesty the Late King's Birthday (Dec 5) By proactively offering packages that cater to long weekend stays and micro-vacations, hotels can capitalize on these trends. Some strategies include: Focus on Content Marketing: Publish blog posts or guides about "Top Things to Do in [Your City] Over the Long Weekend." Highlight local events, hidden gems, and places that are within easy reach. Use SEO best practices to ensure content ranks for relevant long weekend searches. Launch long Weekend and "maxi-break" packages: Partner with travel platforms like Agoda and loyalty platforms to promote extended stay offers such as "Stay 4 Nights, Pay for 3". This aligns with the growing trend of consumers turning public holidays into mini vacations. Push Ancillary items that help guests maximize shorter trips: Include value-adds like late check-out, complimentary breakfast, or tickets to local attractions. Design wellness and immersive local packages - With Asia's wellness tourism market projected to hit USD 156.85 billion this year, hoteliers can attract high-value guests by offering digital detox retreats, spa-and-stay bundles, and locally sourced culinary experiences that can be enjoyed over a three day stay. Agoda offers a wide range of options to suit these preferences. With over 5 million holiday properties, more than 130,000 flight routes, and over 300,000 activities, Agoda provides endless possibilities for creating unforgettable travel experiences. --- ENDS --- View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Agoda Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
ABC News
3 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Queensland councils revive plans for Nathan Dam with $3.4b-plus price tag
After more than a century of false starts, a major Queensland dam project is back at the starting line and, as always, there is no promise it will ever finish the race. First proposed in 1922 for the Dawson River near Taroom in central Queensland, the Nathan Dam has repeatedly stalled over the decades, most recently in 2021. But with water security concerns across the region, regional leaders are uniting to urge the state government to fund a proper study into whether the $3.4 billion-plus dam project stacks up. The revived plan, published by Western Downs Regional Council (WDRC) in 2023 and officially backed by Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) this week, includes building a dam 30 kilometres north-east of Taroom. It would also involve a pipeline stretching more than 700km through the Western Downs to Toowoomba. WDRC described Nathan Dam as "the most critical water project in modern Queensland history", with Mayor Andrew Smith citing urgent urban, agricultural and energy water needs. "Water is becoming more like gold every day," Mr Smith said. "A lot of our communities aren't too far away from approaching unsustainable levels." Mr Smith said the dam was needed to support the region's booming agriculture and energy sectors. Government AgTrends data showed the Toowoomba region was Queensland's top agricultural producer in 2023-24 with a gross value of production of $1.27 billion, followed by the Western Downs at $951 million. "If the state wants the Western Downs to participate in the economy, we need to come up with a solution for water," Mr Smith said. The pipeline alone is expected to cost at least $750 million, while the broader project was pegged to cost at least $3.4 billion — though this was considered a "significant underestimation" in a more recent report for TRC. Toowoomba Deputy Mayor Rebecca Vonhoff, who holds the water portfolio, said despite all three regional dams being full, the region's growth, coupled with future climate risks, demanded long-term water planning. "There's this tendency to sort of sit back, and that is really not the way to go," Ms Vonhoff said. "We have to be pushing forward right now because this is exactly the time that we can try to make some big picture strategic decisions when we don't have the weight of having to come up with a solution really fast." Banana Shire Mayor Nev Ferrier, whose region would host the 888-megalitre dam, said he supported it in principle but was sceptical. "There's no way in the world we'd be against sending water down [to Western Downs] for town usage, but if they want to irrigate, it'd be a lot easier to buy country up here and use water that's already here instead of building hundreds of kilometres of pipeline — that's billions of dollars," Mr Ferrier said. He said the idea of pumping all that water into pipelines connected to other dams further south would mean his community would "end up with nothing here". He also questioned whether the dam would be big enough to serve its purpose and raised concerns over environmental hurdles. "It's never going to be big enough," Mr Ferrier said. "It'd be nearly impossible to pass all the environmental stumps that they'll put in front of you now." Mr Ferrier referenced the boggomoss snail, an endangered species native to the area, which has posed a significant obstacle to past versions of the project. Despite the challenges, TRC formally endorsed the project at a meeting on Tuesday, while ruling out further investigation for a new dam at Emu Creek, north of the city. Water Minister Ann Leahy said she was aware of the renewed advocacy, saying the state was assessing water infrastructure projects across Queensland, including Nathan Dam. Ms Leahy would not confirm whether there was any funding for a feasibility study in the state budget next week. However, she said, "We need to make sure we don't invest in things that don't stack up."
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Woman and family members kill her husband in self-defense at Buckhead apartment complex, police say
Atlanta police are investigating a fight between a husband and wife that turned deadly in Buckhead. At about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, police responded to the Cortland Peachtree Battle apartment complex at 2420 Peachtree Road in Atlanta to reports of shots fired. When they arrived, they found a man dead in a hallway. Atlanta Police Homicide Commander Andrew Smith said a man in his mid-30s entered the apartment building, approached the apartment of his wife, also in her mid-30s, and fired two shots. Smith said the man and woman were in the process of getting a divorce. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] After the man began firing the shots, the woman and two of her family members attacked the man in self-defense and killed him. Police aren't sure at this time how he was able to enter the building and have not revealed how the woman and her family members killed the man. Investigators are collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses. It is unclear if charges will be filed. Police urge anyone with information about this shooting to call Atlanta Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477). Tipsters can remain anonymous. TRENDING STORIES: Manhunt underway for GA man accused of ramming truck into patrol vehicle, leaving deputy injured PHOTOS: These people vanished in Georgia. Now, the GBI is searching for them 'Senseless': Brothers, ages 13 and 14, accused of Clayton party shooting, posting it to social media [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Atlanta police searching for 3 suspects after deadly shooting
Atlanta police say a man was shot and killed outside a northwest Atlanta gas station on Wednesday night. Police responded to 1739 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. NW to reports of a shooting at approximately 9:45 p.m. When they arrived, they found a dead man lying on a sidewalk. Atlanta Police Homicide Commander Andrew Smith told Channel 2 that the victim was shot on the sidewalk near the Chevron gas station, then ran across the street, where he collapsed on that sidewalk and died. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Police said a group of men were arguing before the shooting. Homicide Unit Investigators are examining evidence and speaking to witnesses. Smith said police are looking for three Black men, one of them dressed in a white shirt and jeans, and the other two dressed in all black. Police urge anyone with information about this shooting to call Atlanta Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS(8477). Tipsters can remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward. TRENDING STORIES: Manhunt underway for GA man accused of ramming truck into patrol vehicle, leaving deputy injured PHOTOS: These people vanished in Georgia. Now, the GBI is searching for them 'Senseless': Brothers, ages 13 and 14, accused of Clayton party shooting, posting it to social media [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
