The International Air Transport Association (IATA) encouraged China to continue to develop its air transport sector by ensuring sufficient capacity based on global standards and best practices.

Air transport plays a critical role in China’s economic development. “China is looking to increase its share of world trade from 10.4% to 15%. Aviation connectivity will be critical to making that happen. Already it is prioritizing investments in airport and air navigation infrastructure. The challenge is to keep pace with rapidly growing demand, based on the global standards which underpin safe and efficient global connectivity,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO at the China Civil Aviation Development Forum 2012 in Beijing.

Tyler noted that China already ranks highly for the size of its air transport industry: second in the world for domestic passengers, seventh for international and fourth for international cargo. “But this is only the beginning. Of the 877 million additional global air travelers expected to fly in 2015 than in 2010, more than 212 million will be on journeys within or connected to China,” said Tyler.

Tyler highlighted two priorities to enable China to realize this growth potential:

Infrastructure Capacity:  Tyler noted two areas for infrastructure development:

•     Air navigation infrastructure must keep pace with demand and growing airport capacity. “IATA has worked very successfully with China to open new entry points to Chinese airspace and create more flexibility in cooperation with the military. However, the challenge is growing daily as travel demand increases, leading to frustration and delays for airline passengers. The more flexibility we have in how we use and share airspace with the military as well as between domestic and international flights, the better we will be able to manage growth and meet passenger expectations.”

•     Planning for hub capacity in Beijing continues to be a priority. Tyler praised the Chinese authorities for already looking for development options when the current infrastructure at Beijing Capital International Airport reaches its design capacity. It has risen to become the world’s second busiest airport when measured in passenger numbers. “The best solution would be expansion on the same geographic site. Consolidating traffic in one airport creates the most options for connectivity and keeps costs low. But if it is decided that development at a second location is necessary, then a transparent and clear system for allocating operations between the two airports will be required, in consultation with the airlines.”

Global Standards: “Global standards are at the heart of aviation. They enable airlines to connect our planet safely and efficiently,” said Tyler, citing specifically the role of global safety standards in making China one of the safest places to fly. Tyler noted that IATA is in a dialogue with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to align China’s charges for infrastructure with global standards. “Our goal is to arrive at a charges structure that is competitive and in line with global best practices and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. Today, China’s air navigation service charges are among the highest in the world. The price of fuel is also among the highest–it is estimated that airlines pay a premium of over $400 million annually to refuel at Chinese airports. Bringing those costs in line with global levels will benefit Chinese carriers more than any others and will thereby help to make them more competitive. We also need to eliminate the differential in charges between Chinese and foreign carriers that is unacceptable under ICAO policies. This move will also help Chinese carriers improve their competitiveness by forcing them to compete on a more level playing field,” said Tyler.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)

Tyler also addressed the thorny issue of the EU ETS.. “China is in the front line of state opposition to Europe’s misguided plans to include international aviation in the ETS. The regional approach will distort markets. We believe that the EU’s unilateral action is in contravention of the Chicago Convention. And I fully understand why China views this as an attack on its sovereignty. Nobody wants a trade war. We continue to urge a solution through the ICAO process,” said Tyler.

“I have been very clear in my communication with the Europeans that it’s not a viable bargaining position for the Directorate General for Climate Action to keep relentlessly saying that Europe has no option but to implement without compromise. We all want a solution that is global. ICAO is working on four options. Europe must be a sincere participant in those negotiations,” said Tyler.

Tyler concluded, “I am confident about China’s aviation future. There is tremendous growth potential and an industry working with government to achieve it. In a few weeks’ time we will invite the aviation world to Beijing for our Annual General Meeting. Working alongside the Chinese industry and the Chinese government I see IATA’s relationship with China as a partnership—navigating through the challenges and building tomorrow.”

The IATA Annual General Meeting will take place in Beijing from 10-12 June.

Yunnan has long been one of China’s most appealing and popular travel destinations, but few English-language guidebooks have focused exclusively on the province.

Guidebook publishers such as Lonely Planet and Rough Guide have produced southwest China travel guidebooks that lump Yunnan together with Guangxi, Guizhou and Sichuan. The Yunnan chapters of these book usually only manage to scratch the surface.

Yunnan – China South of the Clouds by Jim Goodman is the most in-depth English-language guidebook about Yunnan that we’ve found. It is an updated version of Goodman’s The Exploration of Yunnan, first published in 2001 by Yunnan People’s Publishing House. The newest edition, now published by Odyssey Books, has added maps and an index – the most glaring omissions in the original book.

The target audience of Yunnan – China South of the Clouds is travelers who are concerned with getting a deep understanding of Yunnan. The book is different from traditional guidebooks in that it doesn’t focus on venue listings or how to get around. It is an ideal resource for deciding where to go and what to seek out, but cannot help travelers decide much in the way of where to stay and eat. For travelers who cannot speak Chinese, it is probably most effective when used in tandem with a more conventional guidebook.

Goodman excels at providing the reader with a geographical, historical, ethnic and cultural context for virtually anywhere one might travel in Yunnan. His informative prose offers a comprehensive explanation of Yunnan and its diverse destinations and cultures, and allows readers to explore cities and the countryside on their own.

Over the course of 624 pages, 211 photos and 29 maps, Goodman threads together the story of Yunnan, linking events, places and people in a way that clarifies the region’s historical narrative in a cohesive and easy-to-understand way.

Goodman divides his book into five main sections: Province of Wonders, Historical Exploration, Contemporary Exploration, Beaten Tracks and The Unfamiliar.

The section “Province of Wonders” explores Yunnan’s multifaceted history, people, culture, geography and cuisine. In addition to a good prehistoric overview of the province, Goodman offers interesting glimpses of ancient Yunnan, including the kingdom of Dian and its mysterious successor, Nanzhao:

Chinese observers were naturally curious about Nanzhao’s military aspects. The kingdom had a high reputation for its swords and in periods of peace this was one of the most sought-after trade items. From somewhere in the wilderness of Nanzhao came an herb that the troops used to poison the tips of their spears and arrows. They wore armour of elephant or rhinoceros hide. Some warriors tattooed their bodies with magic prescriptions against wounds. Discipline was strict. Bravery was rewarded, cowardice severely punished. Its exact ethnic composition is still not clear and maybe never will be, but this is all the world knows so far about the army of Nanzhao, the country Tang China never tamed and Song China never dared take.

Goodman covers the major historical events that have made Yunnan what it is today, including the conquest of the region by Kublai Khan and his subsequent relocation of the capital from Dali to Kunming in the 13th Century, Du Wenxiu’s Muslim rebellion, French and British colonial ambitions, the warlord era of the early 20th Century and life under Communist rule.

In this introduction to the region, it is obvious that Yunnan’s main appeal to Goodman is the mindboggling variety of peoples and cultures throughout the province, which manifests itself in clothing, food, festivals, language and beliefs:

What makes Yunnan potentially so much richer a travel experience is the ethnic aspect. Nowhere else offers such a diversity of lifestyles, such a range of ecological responses, such a wealth and depth of culture. Here is the chance to experience several cross-cultural encounters in a single journey, which will etch themselves more sharply in the traveller’s memory than the most spectacular scenery. They may even change the way a traveller thinks and lives… for the better.

“Historical Exploration” examines the arrival of outsiders into Yunnan, beginning with the earliest mentions of the area in Chinese historical records. Goodman then turns hes attention to expeditions from the West. European visitors in the 19th Century and early 20th Century braved the unknown in Yunnan for a variety of reasons, be they colonial, scientific or evangelical.

Goodman notes the impact of these waiguoren on the region as well as the world’s slowly growing awareness of the province. He gives special attention to Frank Kingdon-Ward, Dr Joseph Rock and Peter Goullart. Those three men penned some of the most vivid and enduring foreign accounts of the people and places they encountered, which at the time were almost completely unknown beyond China.

“Contemporary Exploration” may be the shortest section of this book, but it is a unique and occasionally entertaining look at the reopening of Yunnan to domestic and foreign travelers. Goodman, of course, was one of the first Westerners to take advantage of this reopening.

Many critics of tourism in Yunnan depict an industry that exploits local minorities for the entertainment of travelers, especially foreigners. However, Goodman makes a strong case for the province’s opening up to the outside world happening at the right time:

It just so happened that, historically speaking, Yunnan opened its doors to tourism and exposed its minorities to non-Chinese outsiders at the moment when the minorities had recovered from the assaults on tradition waged by the Cultural Revolution and other past political campaigns. Economically better off than ever before, with their ethnic pride restored and an attitude towards their own traditions that ranges from respectful to revivalist, Yunnan’s minorities were quite ready for the Tourist Era.

Given how developed tourism is in Yunnan, it may be surprising to some that 1985 was the first year under the People’s Republic that foreigners were allowed to experience China’s most diverse province. Goodman’s depiction of the early days of travel in Yunnan for foreigners seems a far cry from the situation today:

Foreigners could roam all over Kunming and, of course, the Stone Forest, but not Lunan town. They could explore Jinghong, but not far beyond, Dali but no other Bai county (not even nearby Eryuan) and Lijiang and Tiger Leaping Gorge, but not Baishuitai just across the Jinshajiang. Outside Kunming, foreigners couldn’t even eat where they wished. At Lijiang, for example, all guests were billeted in the No. 1 Guest House and required to dine in the hotel restaurant. Local residents were informed of the restrictions, too, so that anyone who tried to order food in an old town restaurant was politely and apologetically refused service.

In “Beaten Tracks” Goodman offers excellent introductions to Kunming, Xishuangbanna and Dali, as well as northwestern and western Yunnan. “The Unfamiliar” fills in the blanks elsewhere, exploring the Nujiang Canyon, Honghe and Zhaotong.

These two sections of Goodman’s book total just under 300 pages, nearly half of the book. Goodman covers every corner of Yunnan and gives every ethnic group and subgroup its moment in the spotlight, highlighting their creation myths, religions, languages, architecture, costumes, cuisines, festivals and traditions.

The first half of Yunnan – China South of the Clouds may read like a history book, but the second half justifies the book’s classification as a guidebook. By peering through Goodman’s lens into different parts of Yunnan, travelers can make educated and informed decisions about which terrain and cultures they wish to explore.

Travelers simply looking to take in as many sights as possible while in Yunnan may not have much of a need for this book. Those interested in a deeper interaction with the province’s endless geographical and cultural diversity should find it invaluable in unlocking the infinite discoveries that await them in our favorite corner of China.

Yunnan – China South of the Clouds by Jim Goodman is available in Kunming at Mandarin Books for 210 yuan or online at Amazon.

Fujian province, the closest place on the mainland to Taiwan, will open the first night sea route and allow more passenger ships to link cities in the Chinese mainland and Taiwan province, a senior official said on Sunday.

Ma Jilie, vice-director with Fujian Provincial Communications Department, said at a news conference in Fuzhou that a night voyage will be launched on June 17 to connect Fujian’s Xiamen and Taiwan’s Kinmen as a new move to strengthen the “mini three links”.

The mechanism, set up in 2001, allows direct ferry services between the coastal cities in Fujian province and Taiwan’s offshore islands — Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu.

The new ferry service will travel in both directions between the ports in Xiamen and Kinmen at 19:00 each day. The route would postpone the last departure time of the current ferry service by two hours, which can help the two cities on the Chinese mainland and Taiwan province to realize a “one-day living circle”, Ma said.

Currently, there are 36 scheduled ferry services linking Xiamen and Kinmen. Statistics show that people from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan province have made more than 1.38 million trips to travel across the Straits through the sea link in 2011, with nearly 4,000 travelers taking the ferry service a day on average.

Moreover, a high-speed passenger ship that connects Pingtan Island near the capital city Fuzhou and Taiwan will make four round-trips every week instead of the current three starting from next month in order to transport more passengers by sea.

Ma also told reporters that the transportation authority is making efforts to allow vehicles from Taiwan to drive on the Chinese mainland with a special license.

“The province will try to adopt a special policy this year to give temporary licenses to vehicles from Taiwan with a valid period of three months,” he said.

Authorities from the mainland, according to Ma, will try to get permission from Taiwan transportation authorities to allow car trips to the three major offshore islands — Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu — and then the main island.

By Tan Zongyang and Hu Meidong ( chinadaily.com.cn)

Despite the efforts of British tourism authorities, Chinese travelers have been scared away from the country by high costs during the upcoming London Olympic Games.

While the Queen’s look-alike appeared at a Shanghai shopping mall to lure them to the United Kingdom during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, major travel agencies in Beijing and Shanghai were dropping plans to take tourists to the Games.

Instead, they encouraged travelers to postpone the trip to London until the end of the Games (July 27 to Aug 12) due to cost concerns.

“As far as I know, our travel agency has no special promotion in Beijing and Shanghai to organize group tours to London for the Games,” said Liu Xin from China Youth Travel Service’s department of outbound tourism.

“It’s just too risky for even a big agency like us to do Olympic business. Take booking flights as an example. Full costs need to be paid at least three months in advance to secure the spots, which is much more than usual, plus tourists wouldn’t make firm travel plans three months ahead of schedule. We’re simply not sure whether it’s a profitable deal.”

Liu said she would advise her customers to avoid the Olympic peak season.

Paul Rogers, British Airways’ marketing manager for the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions, said the company had no plan to put additional direct flights between Shanghai and London as well as Beijing and London this summer.

“But there is 36 percent additional capacity between Shanghai and London since we changed the airplanes into bigger ones at the beginning of this year,” said Rogers. “Clearly we’d like to do more on the routes, but before that, we need to be confident that we can fill this extra capacity.”

An average traveler is expected to pay an extra 3,000 to 4,000 yuan ($470 to $630) on a 10-day trip to the UK during the Olympics compared with last summer, according to Gu Chao from Shanghai’s travel agency SAL Tour.

Yet despite the lack of interest from Chinese tourists, hoteliers in the UK can’t wait to get into their most profitable season, as this summer’s Olympics are expected to bring a boom to British hotels.

According to consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, occupancy rates for London hotels in 2012 are expected to reach almost 84 percent, the best since the 1970s. Occupancy outside London is expected to reach 72 percent, the highest ever.

Wu Yiwen, Shanghai-based public relation manager for Northern England’s Yorkshire tourism bureau, joked that she replaced her promotional slogan this year with “stay in Yorkshire for the London Olympics”.

“It takes you about three hours of driving from Yorkshire to London, but it (the hotel rate in Yorkshire) is much cheaper. And I’m telling you many people are doing that,” she said.

Zhao Huanyan, an analyst with Hotelsolution Consulting based in Shenzhen, said hoteliers in two-thirds of the UK’s tourist destinations raised their room rates.

“One four-star hotel east of London increased its rate from $300 to $1,600 simply because it’s close to the Olympic venue. That’s much more than the increase in Shanghai’s Expo hotel boom.”

Thanks to the Olympics, Zhao said the UK is expecting an additional 123 million pounds ($194 million) from hotel revenues for 2012 compared with last year.