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be securing a growing list of medical meetings. In March international meetings held in Taipei included The 13th Asian Oceanian Congress of Radiology (1850 pax), and The International Symposium on Epilepsy in Neurometabolic Diseases. In April Taiwan secured the fourth Asia-Pacific Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery for 2012 (with an expected 1000 delegates), and hosted the sixth Congress of Asian Society for Pediatric Research & 51st Annual Meeting of Taiwan Pediatric Association in April, the second Asia-Oceanian Conference of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, and the third Pan Pacific Symposium on Stem Cells Research.
in the Pacific region is raising grave concerns over the negative impact of the UK government’s proposed further increase in Air Passenger Duty (APD), scheduled for November 2010. Members of the Pacific Tourism Leaders’ Forum which met in Sydney recently are calling the tax ‘ill conceived and draconian’. Participants at the meeting, organised by the Pacific Asia Travel Association, fear that such taxes act as a barrier to trade and development within the region, given its high dependence on the tourist dollar. The planned increase in Air Passenger Duty in November adds significant additional costs to business and leisure travellers visiting the Asia Pacific region. A family of four travelling from the United Kingdom to any destination in Band D (distance of 6000 statute miles or more) face a travel bill of £340 sterling. In January 2007 that same family paid just £80 sterling.
long-haul are prepared to stretch their budgets for the privilege of being able to lie down in economy class. Results from an online poll conducted by Corporate Traveller revealed business travellers don’t mind paying extra for a lie-flat bed in economy. A total of 289 business travellers took part in the survey which asked respondents how much extra they were willing to pay for a lie-flat bed in long-haul economy - up to 20 per cent more, up to 50 per cent more or up to 100 per cent more. Sixty-nine per cent, or 199 business travellers, said they were prepared to pay up to 20 per cent more for a lie-flat bed in economy. A total of 74 respondents, or 26 per cent of voters, said they would pay up to 50 per cent more for a lie-flat bed and 16 travellers or five per cent said they would pay up to 100 per cent more.
member companies has revealed the massive global impact of the recent volcanic ash-induced European no-fly zone. The no-fly zone has hit the international association sector as well as corporate meetings, triggering cancellations, postponements and delegate reductions in this previously resilient sector, something the current economic crisis has failed to achieve. While European events were most badly affected (over 70 per cent reporting negative impacts), conferences held in locations as far as the West Coast of North America and the Malaysian state of Sarawak also suffered, with reduced delegate attendances, missing keynote speakers, and frustrated organisers. ICCA held a morning seminar on the Iceland volcano and its implications at IMEX on Tuesday, May 25.
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