Asian Leadership in Trade and Associated Risks

(PRWEB) January 20, 2006

Asia’s journey from the 1997-98 financial crisis to being one of the world’s most dynamic regions in terms of trade, development and investment activity, can best be termed as a ‘Renaissance’. The world’s centre of economic gravity is shifting towards Asia, as it currently accounts for 27 percent of international trade. This growth is mainly driven by the exemplary performance of the emerging Asian countries, including China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. The share of these emerging Asian countries in world trade increased from 13 percent in 1990 to 20 percent in 2004.

The Asian region is gaining significance in merchandise as well as commercial services trade. Asia’s share in world merchandise exports and imports stands at 26.8 percent and 24 percent, respectively. The value of Asia’s merchandise exports and imports shot up by 25 percent and 27 percent, respectively, in 2004. The growth in exports from the region can be attributed to strong demand from the US, and intra-Asian trade, stoked by a recovery in electronics trade.

Exports of commercial services increased at a fast rate of 27 percent in 2004, while imports were up 25 percent during the same period. Asian countries, such as India, China and the Philippines, are the most preferred destination today for outsourcing of business services, such as transaction processing, customer care centers, medical transcription, IT services and application development, high-end analytical services, R&D services, etc. Other commercial services, such as transportation services were strong in 2004, while travel receipts recovered by 31 percent during the year from exceptionally low levels in 2003 (due to the spread of SARS).

Intra-regional trade as a share of total trade went up sharply to 41 percent in 2004, primarily due to intra-industry trade as a result of greater vertical specialisation and relocation of production processes. This is evident in the electronics sector, where capital intensive processes (like production of microchips) are carried out in high-income economies like Singapore and Korea, and labour intensive processes (like assembly of personal computers) are located in low income countries, such as China. Asia has integrated into a global production chain with some cities like Hong Kong and Singapore becoming the hub of manufacturing and trade.

The dynamics of growth and development in Asia is a perfect illustration of how countries have used trade as a means of achieving greater degree of integration with the international economy. Region-specific factors have provided the stimulus for this growth.

The report covers issues like:

-Growth in Central Asia driven by energy sector

-Structural reforms and booming manufacturing and services sectors drive South Asian economies

-Consumption growth and business investment drives growth in Southeast Asia

-China fuels growth in East Asia

-Risks to Trade in Asia

-Asian economies being net importers of energy, will be hard hit by a rise in global oil prices

-Infrastructure gaps exist in growing nations in Asia

-Inflation and interest rate rise would aggravate debt servicing burden and discourage investments

-Exchange Rates volatility hinders private capital inflows

-Outsourcing business prone to information security risk

-Logistics bottleneck might inhibit outsourcing of manufacturing to Asia

-Epidemics can curtail the GDP growth of the region

-Cultural differences can prove to be detrimental to growth

-Terrorism can lead to decreased FDI, decline in tourism, fiscal imbalances and unemployment

-Asia is prone to various kinds of natural disasters

The full report is available at

http://www.clubofamsterdam.com/content.asp?contentid=560

Evalueserve

Evalueserve is a global knowledge services firm that provides high value-added research services to leading edge clients worldwide. Our clients include global consulting and market research firms, investment banks, Fortune 500 corporations, as well as SMEs in financial services, telecom and technology, pharmaceuticals and biotech, and various other sectors such as automotive, oil and gas, FMCG, Retail, etc. Evalueserves client executives are located in the North and South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. The client executives are supported by its multi-lingual research team of 750 professionals, based in Gurgaon India.

http://www.evalueserve.com

Club of Amsterdam

The Club of Amsterdam is a non-profit Foundation and an independent, international think-tank that organises regular high-level discussions on preferred futures. It involves those who dare to think out of the box and those who don’t just talk about the future but actively participate in shaping outcomes.

So far the Club of Amsterdam has organised more than 28 specialised events, each tackling a different sector within industry and society. The Club of Amsterdam currently has 2.900 members globally.

http://www.clubofamsterdam.com


http://www.clubofamsterdam.com/summit2006.htm

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Asian Leadership in Trade and Associated Risks

Asian Medical Tourism Market Future Reviewed in New Report Published at MarketPublishers.com

London, UK (PRWEB) January 17, 2012

Asia is estimated to record an increased market share in the global medical tourism market with projected volume growth of foreign patients being the highest worldwide. Among some of the key factors expected to fuel the future market growth are the accessibility to world-class healthcare infrastructure and expert doctors, nurses and support staff coupled with low treatment costs.

Thailand is the leader among the Asian countries, which received maximum number of foreign patients in 2010. India is the second largest player, closely followed by Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia.

New market research report Asia Medical Tourism Industry Outlook to 2015 – The Destination for Foreign Patients drawn up by AM Mindpower Solutions has been recently published at Market Publishers Ltd.

Report Details:

Title: Asia Medical Tourism Industry Outlook to 2015 – The Destination for Foreign Patients

Published: January, 2012

Pages: 135

Price: US$ 1,350

http://marketpublishers.com/report/services/travel_leasure/asia_medical_tourism_industry_outlook_to_2015_destination_4_foreign_patients.html

The research report delves into detailed and comprehensive analysis of Asias medical tourism industry along with further discussion on medical tourism market in various countries such as Thailand, India, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea.

Report Key Topics:

Asian Medical Tourism Market Future Reviewed in New Report Published at MarketPublishers.com

Asian Golf Tourism Specialist Posts Record Increases

Bangkok, Thailand (PRWEB) March 14, 2012

Golfasian Co. Ltd., South-East Asia’s largest dedicated pure-play golf tour operator has reported a 68 percent increase in turnover for the 12-months ending February 2012. This industry-leading boost in golf holiday revenue is a direct consequence of growing popularity in Asian golf tourism and demonstrates the company’s superior service quality and product diversity.

Golfasian (http://www.golfasian.com) reported that year-on-year golf visitor volume rose 23.4% to 5514 golfers, while median revenue per person increased 29.1% to $ US1450. Thailand accounted for 79% of the company’s revenue, Vietnam 11%, while Malaysia and the rest of South-East Asia each contributed 5%.

The company’s golf stay-and-play packages continued to fuel growth, comprising more than 80% of total revenues. Tee-off golf packages accounted for 7% of revenue, while on-line golf bookings remained sluggish, contributing less than 3% of turnover.

“In 2011 we witnessed a rapid build-up of Asian golf tourism,” said managing director, Mark Siegel. “Demand for our services was particularly strong during the traditional high season as more customers chose to use Golfasian for the superior golf holiday experience we offer.”

Bucking the outsourcing trend of the travel industry, Golfasian has invested heavily in vertical infrastructure, including establishing regional offices in all of South-East Asia’s golfing hubs, hiring dedicated local area managers, procuring its own fleet of company vehicles and drivers, choosing Singapore as its new corporate headquarters, and starting dedicated golf travel ventures in Vietnam and Malaysia.

“Our expansion will further enhance the company’s service reputation and market-leading position with both overseas partners and end-clients,” Mark Siegel said.

On the business development side, the company continues to maintain a remarkable online presence using its network of high-ranked web sites to attract new clients at a rate of 30 per day.

Business Development Manager, Pascal Orczech, said that while most companies in the region were cutting marketing expenditures, Golfasian’s spending had increased. “By reaching out to overseas agents and golfing clients, we’ve been able to convince them of the tremendous value of our golf tours, especially multi-destinations and those which combine golf and cultural travel.

“This year, we will start to offer golf packages in emerging destinations like Burma, Laos, and southern China. These destinations, especially when combined with the traditional golf holiday areas, will further add to the attractiveness and uniqueness of our stay-and-play golf packages, while also being very affordable for most golf travelers.”

For more information about golf holidays to South-East Asia, visit http://www.golfasian.com

About Golfasian

A privately-held Bangkok, Thailand based company; Golfasian was established in 1997 is the largest pure-play dedicated Asian golf tour operator. The company packages golf, tours, hotels, and transportation to offer clients total golfing experiences with exceptional quality, value and diversity.

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For more information, contact:

Paul Myers, Asian Travel Media, Bangkok

Email: paul(at)asiantravelmedia(dot)com

Tel: +66 (0) 84 125 1894

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More Malaysia Cultural Tourism Press Releases

Asian Golf Tourism Specialist Posts Record Increases

Remote Lands Introduces Families to Asian Cultural Vacations

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 7, 2007

Remote Lands, Inc., America’s only provider of luxury bespoke travel exclusively to Asia, is now offering families the opportunity to experience Asia in an entirely new way, with extraordinary cultural journeys. The company works closely with the parents and the children in order to get to know their own particular interests and desires, and then arranges one-of-a-kind tailor-made vacations for them. Remote Lands organizes insider access to remote communities, cultural events, ceremonies and much more, providing family holidays that are unique, profound, and unlike anything most Americans have ever experienced. Travelers are introduced to the traditions and customs of Asian families, as they are welcomed into private homes, schools and businesses. They witness first-hand everyday Asian life, work, educational and social activities, with the kids taking part in sports and games, while the parents learn about the adults’ livelihoods and household duties. This cultural immersion provides families with an inside view of the world’s largest and most diverse continent, and a much deeper understanding of Asian people.

Remote Lands’ bespoke Asian journeys begin at about $ 1,000 per person per day, depending on the destination, plus international airfare, and go up from there depending on private jet charters, helicopters, VIP audiences, and personal staff including chefs, trainers, concierges and other professionals. Possible itinerary highlights include:

Laos Elephant Camp: Ten miles outside of Luang Prabang, Laos, is an Elephant Camp where elephants who are freed from the brutal working of logging timber are brought to live out their days in a happy, safe, loving environment. Participants assist mahout handlers in bathing and feeding the magnificent animals, including the camp’s recently-rescued three-year-old baby elephant. Parents and children have the opportunity to ride the elephants through the jungle, passing the picturesque Tad Sae waterfall before joining the animals for a refreshing swim in the Nam Khan River.

Balinese Kite Making: Families are invited to the palace of the Prince of Bali, where they join him in building and flying traditional Balinese kites. A picnic is arranged on the lawns of the palace, where families participate in a kite-blessing ceremony, followed by a visit to the nearby beach to test their kites in the warm sea breeze.

Bhutan Remote Village Visit: Families are invited to one of Asia’s most remote farming villages, where they are welcomed by a traditional Chipdrel procession. The Bhutanese children host their American guests, guiding them through the village and introducing them to their school activities, games and sports. Adults chat with their Asian counterparts, who demonstrate their cooking techniques and their other household duties. The visit culminates in a traditional, home-cooked lunch of red rice, momo dumplings, cheese with chilis and curried yak.

Bhutan Buddhist Wedding Vow Renewal: The entire family takes part in a traditional Bhutanese marriage ceremony, where the parents renew their wedding vows in an old village farmhouse or a Buddhist monastery. The ceremony includes the monks performing sacred blessings, playing traditional music, and serving symbolic libations and food such as rice and fruit. This lively yet highly spiritual event involves all members of the family and is an extremely memorable experience.

Bali Orphanage Visit: Families visit the Franciscan Orphanage at Tuka Dalung in Bali, where American children are paired with Indonesian children for a first-hand learning experience inside the orphanage walls. The Balinese children demonstrate their culture and involve their American counterparts in their daily customs, with traditional music, sports and games. A lunch of “nasi goring” fried rice, “bakso” beef soup, vegetables and chicken satay is served in the dining room.

Borneo Orangutans: Visit the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary in Sarawak in northern Malaysia, and the nearby Probiscis Monkey Sanctuary, where orphaned and abandoned baby orangutans are raised before being re-integrated into the wild. In both places the family can see the animals up close and personal, but still in a natural habitat.

Remote Lands Introduces Families to Asian Cultural Vacations