The paradise beaches of Thailand have been globally recognised as the best in Asia in the latest Traveler’s Choice awards 2010 by TripAdvisor.
Four Thai islands, Ko Lanta, Khao Lak, Koh Phangan and Koh Samui were ranked 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th respectively on the list of “Top 10 Beach & Sun Destinations in Asia” making the land of 1000 smiles the most awarded-Asian country in the category.
Malaysia was one of seven 7 to achieve positive growth in tourist arrivals last year when the rest of the world experienced a 4% decline
Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said Malaysia recorded 23.6 million arrivals last year, up from 22 million in 2008. source -World Tourism Organisation
“We are confident that as the global economy recovers, Malaysia can expect more visitors,”
Dr Ng yen Yen added that this year’s target would be 24 million arrivals with an estimated RM54bil revenue.
According to Dr Ng, additional programmes are going to be introduced to attract international tourists, including;
This is just another positive indicator for tourism growth on SE Asia which intrun should havwe a positive impact of the real estate and more specifically touristic property market.
An article published today the 4th of March 2010 on the opp.org.uk website indicated that Asia is leading way with regards to Tourism recovery.
The article highlighted that research from International Air Transport Association (IATA) showed air travel was up 8.6% compared to the market low in February 2009.
Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO stated that
“Demand is moving in the right direction,”
Giovanni Bisignani continuted,
“We can start to see the future with some cautious optimism, but better volumes do not necessarily mean better profits. Passenger yields are still 15% below peak. And we expect 2010 losses to be $5.6 billion.”
The article suggested that it is the growinhg demand In Asia which is leading driving the the air travel demand.
Air travel growth was fastest in the Middle East, where carriers did not see a fall during the recession and where demand increased to 23.6% in January.
With increasing visitor numbers to Asia this article is just even more facts and proof that Asia tourist property is an ever growing attractive investment option
While the Philippines is a country made up of over 7000 Islands, the major city locations like Manila, Quezon City have an ever increasing and educated work force especially in the I.T industry and because of this fact a growing number of companies are setting up office and outsourcing work to the Philippines.
These areas as well as some of the popular island locations like Cebu and Boracay for example also bring in tourists of all kinds from around the world.
Investors who are looking to make money from both commercial, residential and touristic property demand have now identified the Philippines as a very attractive option.
As a result of this fact among other factors like increased inward investment the property market in the Philippines is predicted to grow by 10% this year.
Real Estate services firm CB Richard Ellis Philippines sees an uptake in the property market growing by at least 10 percent this year pushed by liquidity, election spending, bank lending and the enactment of the REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) law.
In a press conference, CBRE Philippines chairman Rick M. Santos, said the growth would be across the board but it would be led by office followed by residential and retail. It was also mentioned that although the growth is office led the tourism sector would also see the development of more hotels and resorts and the emergence of entertainment complexes. Source: IRMA ISIP – Property market to grow by at least 10%.
It is the touristic property investment opportunities that are attractive to many overseas property investors that are not only looking to make capital gains but also some enjoyment from the properties they are investing in. For example the Continent Fairways development on the tropical Boracay island which is proving to be very attractive as the investment offers a high guaranteed rental income provided by the management company of around 20% as well as excellent personal usage, owners can use the property as often as they like but the amount will of course effect the percentage of guaranteed rental income they receive.
This simply takes all of the work out of the investment process for the initial investor. Investors own the property while the management company runs the resort. The investors benefit from a high guaranteed rental income as well as usage and the expected capital growth.
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has rolled out a new tourism campaign with the slogan “Southeast Asia: feel the warmth.”
The campaign is aimed at Australia, India, Hong Kong, UK and America and if focused on promoting the new website SoutheastAsia.org
The campaign will target visitors from markets such as Australia and India, as well as further afield in Britain, Hong Kong and North America, the ASEAN Tourism Association said in a statement.
The campaign, launched at an industry forum in Brunei on Monday, is focused on a new promotional website SoutheastAsia.org.
Pehin Yahya, Brunei’s minister of industry and primary resources, told delegates that the region offers
“tremendous opportunities” to visitors including ecotourism and culinary experiences.
ASEAN Tourism Association chairman Felix Cruz says the initiative will promote travel to multiple destinations in Southeast Asia.
This is good news for Asia property developers and investors targeting g the touristic markets as the campaign’s mission is to drive more tourists to the countries where such property developers and investors own properties.
Source: The Sunday Morning Herald
http://news.smh.com.au
Asian nations launch tourism offensive
January 25, 2010
So who is fortunate enough to own a private island? Well rumours are rife but unless you are Richard Branson and want to rent out your island paradise then you are likely to try and keep it a secret. Pirate of the Caribbean, Johnny Depp is said to own an island in the Bahamas; Steven Spielberg reportedly took a shine to the Portuguese island of Madeira and Mel Gibson chose Fiji as his location of secret seclusion.
Where would you choose? And what could you afford? Well perhaps not the whole island but you can have your very own slice of the Cacao Pearl – a pristine and private heart shaped tropical island laying in warm waters and home to coconut palms, papaya trees, rainforest, turtles and rare birds. With 3 km of dramatic coastline and coral reefs, located within the world-renowned Palawan archipelago, Cacao Pearl boasts four marine reserves and two UNESCO World Heritage sites. You and your loved one can chose from eight different beaches or disappear into a hidden cove for a romantic picnic, sunbathing and a swim in the tropical waters.
Cacao Pearl is one of 1,780 islands that make up Palawan, an island province in south west Philippines and is one of the most romantic spots in the world. Imagine a white glove service, beyond-eco boutique resort community, sensitively developed to retain its natural, tropical charm whilst also offering the upmost in comfort, relaxation, and adventure. The chic residences have been designed exclusively for Cacao Resorts by former film art director Antonio Calvo (Love Actually, Pride & Prejudice) and built to exceed LEED standards for ecologically responsible construction. It is a carbon neutral resort and utilizes renewable energy sources; uniquely all net profits from the resort are invested in philanthropic projects through a Foundation which has been specifically set up to aid local community projects.
Where else in the world could you walk out of your home and pick mangoes and orchids for your breakfast tray. Then perhaps a dip in the hand crafted sunken deck tub followed by a relaxing hour or two in the Cliff Edge Spa where they will create bespoke oils and masks to suit your taste. And perhaps now a trip to the Chocolatier might seem in order – set in a tropical fruit orchard.
So don’t leave it to the likes of Mel Gibson and Johnny Depp – live your own celebrity dream on this ‘rock star ready’ island of love. The island residences are delivered in 1 or 2 bedroom configurations each with its own private nature-scaped garden estate of 800-1500 sqm. Bespoke residences are available to anyone with specific ideas or room plans. Prices from US$300,000 fully furnished, ready-to-rent. For more information contact Experience International on 0207 321 5858, visit Cacao Pearl Island or follow us at http://twitter.com/experience_int.
Popular Asia-Pacific accommodation website Wotif.com announced the 10 most popular regions in Asia according to its booking stats during 2009.
For the 3rd year in a row Thailand has toped the chart as most popular and the Philippines crept up into the list also showing the increasing popularity of the country.
Here is the list
Top Asian Regions (by bookings)
1. Thailand
6. Vietnam
2. Singapore
3. Hong Kong
4. Malaysia
5. Indonesia
7. China
8. Japan
9. Macau
10. Philippines
Source:
Popular hotel booking site announces top 10 Asian travel destinations for last year
Wotif.com reveals Asia’s most wanted
Thursday, January 21, 2010
http://www.traveldailynews.com
Philippine property yields are expected to remain steady or show a slight increase during 2010, driven by a resurgent Asian economy, forecasts apart-hotel property investment specialist, Asset Property Brokers – the Chinese economy is predicted to grow by 9% in 2010 with Singapore expanding by 4.3%, Taiwan by 3.7% and the Philippines by 3.2%, according to the International Monitory Fund…
Source: The Move Channel, Friday, November 27, 2009.
Again another great indication of the value of Asia and especially Philippines property investment.
Here is proof that SE Asia is consistently increasing in popularity with foreign visitors, these stats can only have a very positive effect on the tourist property investment industry. The low property prices and massive increasing tourist trends mean it has never been a better time to invest in property in SE Asia.
Check out these great developments
Continent Fairways – a superb Boracay property investment opportunity that offers guaranteed rental income of around 20% p.a
Cacao Pearl Island – a Palawan property investment opportunity, a beyond eco private island retreat with out the high price tag
Figures released by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) show that the numbers of international visitors to the Asia Pacific region* grew by 2.2 percent year-on-year in October 2009, improving the overall position for the year (10 months) to just four percent down when compared with the same period in 2008.
Within Asia, Southeast Asia recorded a strong seven percent growth in international visitor arrivals, boosted by another impressive month for Malaysia (+14%) and better results from Indonesia (+3 percent) and Thailand (+11%).
Source
Statistics & Trends
Pacific Asia Travel Association
October continues positive trend for Asia Pacific tourism
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
http://www.traveldailynews.com
With so many people looking to buy property in the Philippines I thought that I would share my recent positive experience of investing in a Boracay property.
I already own a property in Thailand earmarked for my retirement but I wanted to expand my portfolio with an investment property purchase; I therefore started looking at nearby markets showing strong potential and the Philippines caught my interest.
I contacted an agent in the UK, Experience International, who told me about the Continent Fairways project on the island of Boracay. I liked the sound of this project as it offered a good return on investment (14% net per annum), a low entry level of £26,000 and I could still use the property for up to 2 weeks each year.
The sales consultant, Stuart Williams was exceptional and answered all my queries and questions about Continent Fairways. He told me that the project was built around an established golf course (as well as very near the beach) with free golf club membership for property owners which really appealed to me as I am keen golfer!
With the location of the development such a key factor to its success I was keen to see it for myself and so I took a trip to the Philippines in August 2009 to see Boracay Island for myself.
And I was not disappointed! From the moment I arrived I could see the beauty of Boracay Island and its people. I received a warm welcome by the developers of Continent Fairways and spent the next few days touring the island including a thorough inspection of the golf course – it proved up to scratch! – and of course the development site.
By the end of my visit I was convinced that the Philippines and the Continent Fairways development was the right choice for me. With the guaranteed 80% occupancy available and the project backed by a renowned high quality resort operator I was confident in the rental opportunities and yields offered. I also decided to take advantage of the 60% non-status finance available.
On returning home I spoke with Stuart Williams and reserved my studio unit. I have appointed solicitors based in the UK to assist with the legal aspects and am liaising with Stuart Williams to sign the contracts.
With my property in the Philippines due for completion in December 2010 I am already looking forward to playing a round or two of golf in the winter sun on Boracay.
Overall, I found the whole experience of purchasing property in the Philippines positive. The location just sold itself and the specific development I invested in ticked all the right boxes.
I would say to any potential buyers to take time to find exactly what you want – it is out there somewhere! Also be happy with the people you chose to work with. Stuart Williams at Experience International offered a first class service from the very start and I would certainly recommend him to friends and family thinking of buying overseas.
Lesley
Asia Property News